One Girl
This report comes on the heels of the 2004 study commissioned by The Women’s Fund and The Columbus Foundation, Count On Her! The Status of Women and Girls in Central Ohio. Following the recommendations made in that report, One Girl turns its attention to understanding the available data on the region’s girls. It is the first comprehensive study on girls and women under 18 in the seven-county central Ohio area. In addition to informing policy-makers and nonprofits about the unique needs of girls in central Ohio, One Girl will serve as a benchmark for progress and a basis for future research.
Click here for the full report, including the Executive Summary. One Girl: The Status of Girls in Central Ohio
In an effort to make sure that every voice is heard, we are also providing a survey so that anyone who wants to weigh in about girls in their community can do so. Please click the link to take the survey. Thanks!
Statement from the Andi Boutelle, the high school student volunteer filmmaker for the One Girl video:
When I was asked to create a video for the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, my immediate response was yes. As a past grant reader, I have seen the work of the Women’s Fund in action and how beneficial their support has been to several programs who have assisted countless women and implemented long term change in society. It has been a real pleasure to work with such an uplifting and positive organization whose message is simple yet powerful: every girl can reach her full potential.
One of my initial concerns when I began making plans for the video was how to present the statistics. From experience and observation, I have learned that people tend to detach and dissociate themselves from statistics often times because they cannot conceive the enormity of the issues or because they view them as cold, hard, unrelatable facts. By having real girls present these statistics, I hope to give these facts a face, so to speak, giving them life and meaning. This could be your sister, daughter, or friend. She’s not just some number typed on a sheet of paper.
I really enjoyed working with other girls to create this video, and found that the girls enjoyed their experience as well. After reading some of the statistics, one of my friends was pleased to find that girls were doing so well in school, but commented on the need for further progress. I tried to film a wide array of girls in this video, differing in ethnicity, age, and background in order to show the variety of girls that these statistics represent.
A few were shocked at the graveness of some of the statistics. A friend even asked me, “What’s the point of reciting these dismal facts to people?” I told her that these statistics were not set in stone. The great thing about the Women’s Fund is that they recognize this. Instead of seeing a group of struggling girls, they see young women who have the potential, but just need to tap into it. We can change the statistics presented to us today for the better.