Willmar Bremer Hosts Women's Foundation Road to Equality Tour

The Women's Foundation of Minnesota launched its 2012 Road to Equality Tour with a Community Presentation hosted at Bremer Bank, Willmar on June 12. One of eight communities on the tour, the event included highlights from the most recent edition of the Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota Report. The Foundation worked with the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute's Center on Women & Public Policy to study equality in four topic areas: Economics, Safety, Health and Leadership.


Our bank meeting space was at capacity with interested nonprofit, business and community leaders attending the event. What we heard: "In nearly all the measures data indicates that Minnesota women and girls continue to face disparate outcomes in comparison to men and boys in these four categories," said Deb Fitzpatrick, presenter, and research author from the HHH Center on Women & Public Policy.

In Kandiyohi County, where Willmar is the largest city, a "Willmar Region" excerpt distributed to attendees illustrated several tables including:

Economics: 14% of women aged 25-34 live in poverty as compared with 7% of men; Median full-time earnings for women are $30,682 as compared to $41,772 for men (2006-2010).

Safety: 33% of women have been a victim of a rape crime, as compared to 2.7% of men (West Central Minnesota - 2008).

Leadership: No females hold elected positions on the county board, city council or legislative district. (2012).

For more information on the meeting, see West Central Tribune article: http://www.wctrib.com/event/article/id/94558/

L-R Debra Fitzpatrick, Dir. Of Humphrey School's Center on Women & Public Policy; Mary Ann Doyle, President, Bremer Bank, Willmar; Lois Schmidt, Bremer Nonprofit Resources; Saanii Hernandez, WFM Sr. Program Officer; Kim Borton, WFM Director of Programs. Fitzpatrick and Borton were community meeting presenters at the session.)

Road to Equality Tour

About the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota: The Women‘s Foundation of Minnesota is a statewide community foundation that invests in social change to achieve equality for all women and girls in Minnesota. The Foundation funds innovative social change programs, builds women‘s philanthropy, conducts and reports research, advocates public policy, and educates the public about the successes and challenges of Minnesota‘s women and girls. It is the oldest women‘s foundation in the country. More at http://www.wfmn.org/.

Lois Schmidt, Nonprofit Resources, Bremer Bank - Willmar Charter