The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga (WFGC) is pleased to announce the launch of its community input survey, which will help the organization determine policy advocacy priorities for the next 3 to 5 years.
The WFGC is a nonpartisan policy nonprofit that advocates for women and girls in three major policy areas: economic opportunity, health, and safety. The WFGC was initially involved in promoting the Anti-Human Trafficking hotline with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, contributing to Tennessee being ranked first in the nation for laws protecting victims of human trafficking.
The WFGC also successfully advocated with the Hamilton County Commission to keep funding for important ovarian and cervical cancer screenings. The organization has since advocated on a number of issues, including access for women’s health and protections for children, the elderly, and victims of abuse.
“For nearly 20 years, the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga has been on the forefront for advocating for women and girls in Tennessee,” said Melody Shekari, the organization's executive director. “The results from the survey will inform how we address root causes of local issues, change laws, and advocate for policies that have a positive impact on women and girls.”
“When we launched in 2008, we hosted a series of focus groups and community meetings to learn what women in the community thought needed to change to help women thrive in all walks of life,” said founding board member Ann Coulter. “Our successes have been a direct result of listening and community input. We want to advocate in ways that impact our community and affect the day-to-day lives of Tennessee women.”
“This is the first time since 2008 that the WFGC has asked for widespread input,” added Shekari. “We are in a very different position culturally, socially, and politically.”
In addition to policy advocacy, the WFGC supports other organizations’ efforts, like making period products more affordable and accessible in schools as well as encouraging collective philanthropy.
“We know that when we successfully advocate for policies and support programs that positively impact women and girls, our whole community benefits,” explained Shekari.
Anyone in the community is invited to take the survey. It takes about 5 minutes to complete and should only be completed once per person. The survey will be live through the end of June. To take the survey, visit https://tinyurl.com/wfgcsurvey.
For more information on the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, please visit chattanoogawomensfund.org.