New ‘Voices of Loudoun Women’ Report Reveals Persistent Gaps in Basic Needs, Health Care, and Support Services
The Loudoun Coalition on Women and Girls (LCWAG) has released its fifth annual “Voices of Loudoun Women” community assessment, showing that women in one of the nation’s wealthiest counties continue to face persistent struggles to access health care (including mental health), community and social connections; food or nutritional support, and child care support.
Since 2022, the number of women reporting major life challenges has remained alarmingly high, rising from 1-in-3 to 1-in-2 Loudoun women. The 2024 survey data confirm this rate has held steady, with particular concern among mothers, women of color, and residents of Eastern Loudoun.
“The numbers tell us that Loudoun women are not just surviving hardship, they are navigating multiple, overlapping barriers to stability,” said Ferri Riar, LCWAG Research & Impact Hub Lead. “Despite living in an economically thriving region, many women are overwhelmed by unaffordable health care, a lack of mental health access, and a child care system that simply doesn’t work for working families. These aren’t fringe issues; they are central to how women live and work in our community.”
This report reflects 228 survey responses, collected in both English and Spanish, and captures voices across a wide range of income levels and life stages.
Key takeaways include:
Access to health care (physical and mental) was the top-ranked challenge for 32% of respondents, followed closely by social connection, food/nutrition, and child care affordability.
Among women who needed mental health care in the past year, 59% struggled to find providers who accepted their insurance, and 44% said costs were a barrier.
Domestic violence remains widespread: 13% of women said they had experienced it personally, while 30% knew someone who had.
Resource awareness is significantly low: 56% of women did not know where to go for help with domestic violence; 23% were unaware of trafficking-related services.
“Women in Loudoun are telling us loud and clear what they need. Our job is to listen, and to act,” LCWAG Board Chair Stacey Metcalfe explained. “This report is the foundation for how we respond. LCWAG exists to reflect the real needs of real people through practical programming and partnerships that uplift women and girls. From our Girl emPower summits to our Woman emPower entrepreneurial series, Loudoun Women’s Hall of Fame, human trafficking awareness and more, everything we do is rooted in these voices.”
Notably, LCWAG expanded its outreach this year to include Spanish-language responses, ensuring the report more accurately reflects underserved and underrepresented populations.
These respondents were overwhelmingly young mothers with low incomes, a group facing multiple vulnerabilities with limited access to support.
Riar emphasized the importance of translating insights into action: “We already know that our women are resilient, but they want structural change. Affordable care, safer communities, and a path forward that doesn’t depend on how lucky or connected you are.”
The full 2025 Voices of Loudoun Women report, including demographic breakdowns and programmatic implications, is available at LCWAG.org/Research
About LCWAG
LCWAG promotes leadership development and fosters an inclusive community for Loudoun’s women and girls through education, collaboration, and empowerment. We support the vision that every Loudoun County woman and girl will have equitable opportunities to achieve personal and professional growth. LCWAG remains a nonpartisan, nonpolitical organization that promotes leadership development and fosters an inclusive community for women and girls.
Media Contact:
Brian Tinsman
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