Annual Survey Shows Loudoun Women Continue to Face Significant Challenges

The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls (LCWAG) has released its Impact Report, which includes the latest findings from its Voices of Loudoun Women community assessment, now in its fourth year. 

For the second year in a row, more than half of survey respondents answered that they were experiencing one or more major challenges, with top needs in the areas of:

  • access to health care (including mental health);

  • housing support;

  • workforce connections;

  • and food or nutritional support.

The survey also revealed concerning data on women’s mental health and safety. Critically, 5% of Loudoun women surveyed stated that domestic violence resources are important for meeting challenges in their household.

Findings from the survey are used not only to guide the nonprofit’s signature initiatives and partnerships but also to inform community leaders about the needs of women and girls.

“There is growing evidence that women in Loudoun County are falling short of basic needs for themselves and their families. It is incumbent upon all of us to step up, work together and meet those needs,” LCWAG Chair Ferri Riar said. “Our team of enthusiastic volunteers and generous donors are developing the resources and partnerships to help meet basic needs, protect mental health, and provide economic security for the women and girls in our community.”

The LCWAG Research & Impact Hub conducts periodic community assessments and participant surveys, along with reviewing research from other state and national sources. 

These insights inform program development for Girl emPower, Woman emPower, the Loudoun Women's Hall of Fame, and other LCWAG initiatives.

Additional insights from the LCWAG Impact Report include:

LCWAG’s Girl emPower initiative continues to expand, with the largest annual Summit last fall, and quarterly meetup events to drive more collaboration. Across four years of the Summit, 97% of attendees responded that they felt more confident about their future goals in post-event surveys.

LCWAG’s Employment and Entrepreneurship focus expanded to Woman emPower for 2024, mirroring the holistic focus of Girl emPower to help support women in the community. Last year’s Loudoun Entrepreneurial Women’s Business Seminar was a success, with 87% of participants feeling more confident about achieving their business goals after attending.

LCWAG officially launched the Loudoun Women’s Hall of Fame in 2023, enshrining the inaugural class of eight women across different areas of impact, including:

  • Kris Loya (Arts);

  • Kindra Dionne (Business Entrepreneurship); 

  • Shreyaa & Esha Venkat (Community Service); 

  • Katie Johnson (Education); 

  • Sigrid Fry-Revere (Health); 

  • Vanessa Grigsby (Leadership); 

  • Karen Schaufeld (Philanthropy);

  • Pastor Michelle C. Thomas (Social Justice).

Ferri Riar