From the Nominator

"Wellesley College led a widely collaborative effort to elevate public discussion on the scale of the problems created for women by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly how and why the pandemic had a disproportionate economic impact on women, with women of color and single mothers most deeply affected—and how to build economy that works for women.   

Wellesley commissioned a national survey by Lake Research Partners, a leading pollster specializing in women, to develop a national survey for 18- to 30-year-old women. The goals for this research were twofold: to highlight the experiences of young women and understand how the pandemic had shaped their expectations for employers; and to create a unique thought leadership opportunity for Wellesley to frame recommendations regarding these issues. The survey found that the pandemic had reshaped the aspirations and expectations of women ages 18 to 30 in many ways, especially around caregiving, mental health, and the role of government and employers in creating equitable workplaces and policies that support women’s participation in the labor force.   

On April 1 and 2, 2022, Wellesley, Spelman College, and King’s College London convened researchers, business leaders, advocates, and national and local policymakers for The Economy She Deserves, a virtual summit to discuss building an equitable economy for women. The summit drew more than 1,400 participants and over 40 experts participated from universities, government, corporations, hospitals, think tanks, and social service organizations to discuss the issues from a wide variety of angles."

From the Judges

Impressive collaboration of institutions, speakers/panelists, and audience engagement. Love that a research grant helped make this a reality and was integrated to be for greater audiences. Utilizing research as the base of the program is an incredible idea. Incredibly deep in conversations/presentations as part of the program. Widely diverse engagement—global.