Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Report Illustrates Challenges Faced By Central Indiana Woman

INDIANAPOLIS– Women’s Fund of Central Indiana has officially released the State of Women in Central Indiana Report, an in-depth examination of the challenges and opportunities women face in Central Indiana. The report includes regional and statewide data on women’s health, well-being, and safety. It will allow for better policy, support, and decision-making for Central Indiana women.

The report is available here.

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Indiana has a “D” grade in terms of women’s well-being. The State of Women in Central Indiana Report supports this assessment.

“Women aren’t a special interest group—we’re 52% of the population,” said Women’s Fund President Tamara Winfrey-Harris. “If Central Indiana doesn’t work for women, it doesn’t work, period. This report gives us the tools to change that.”

A Troubling Picture of Women’s Wellbeing: 

• Economic Disparities: Women in Central Indiana earn just 70 cents for every dollar earned by men. For women of color, the gap is even wider, perpetuating cycles of poverty and financial instability.
• Maternal Health Crisis: Indiana has the third-highest maternal mortality rate among reporting states. Black women face the highest risks, highlighting severe racial disparities in healthcare.
• Housing Insecurity: More than 60% of evictions in Marion County are filed against women, with single mothers often spending nearly half their income on rent.
• Violence Against Women: Over 42% of women in Indiana have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Barriers to Health: In 2019, 53% of Hispanic women and 46% of Black women in Central Indiana lacked access to prenatal care, contributing to poor maternal and infant health outcomes.

“These findings are not just statistics—they are the lived realities of thousands of women in our community,” said Winfrey-Harris. “We must address these systemic issues if we are to build a Central Indiana that works for everyone.”

How to Take Action:
Women’s Fund encourages decision-makers to use the report to help them make more well-informed, strategic choices. Not-for-profits can use the data in the report to secure additional funding by providing concrete evidence for the importance of their work; they can also use it to identify and tackle the areas of greatest need. Lawmakers and policymakers can use the report to develop laws and policies that help women thrive. Donors are called to invest in organizations like Women’s Fund to support ongoing research and initiatives.

“This Giving Tuesday, we are choosing to give information that empowers our community to take action,” said Winfrey-Harris. “This report is not just a snapshot of women’s challenges; it’s a roadmap for how we can work together to shift outcomes for future generations.”

Women’s Fund of Central Indiana partnered with the Polis Center at Indiana University Indianapolis to develop the State of Women in Central Indiana report. The report was made possible thanks to support from the Marion County Public Health Department, audiochuck, Glick Philanthropies and The Indianapolis Foundation.

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Please note: You may notice our former name in this content, as this piece was published before Women’s Fund of Central Indiana became Women’s Foundation of Indiana. Learn more about our evolution »