February 2026 Newsletter - A Bolder Way Forward

A Bolder Way Forward Advocates,

Good morning! As we continue strengthening our collective efforts to support women, girls, and families in Utah, we’re excited to share several important A Bolder Way Forward (BWF) updates to share with you:

New Research: Today the UWLP is releasing a new research and policy brief titled, The Status of Women in Utah Politics: A 2026 Update. In addition, a few weeks ago we released a white paper titled Women’s Safety & Security 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes. This is the third white paper sharing results from the UWLP 2025 Fall Survey, which highlights results for the Child Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Poverty & Homelessness Spokes.

Quarterly Forum: Join us for our first BWF Quarterly Impact Forum on April 6, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. RSVP for this webinar today.

Maintaining Momentum: Last month, we shared a summary from Dr. Susan Madsen regarding key changes happening within the BWF structure. As we’re progressing through this transition, you’ll see updates to spoke webpages (including refined goals, information about organizations carrying spoke efforts forward, etc.). You can find resources and information about Belonging Teams on this new webpage. The new “Take Action” page lists new Calls to Action for each spoke.

Get Involved: County efforts continue to be vital to raise awareness about issues facing girls, women, and families, and to help communities, neighborhoods, and homes be aware of resources. Regional Coalitions are being formed in the Five County and the Six County regions to help strengthen rural communities. To support efforts across the state and help spread research and resources, UWLP Regional Coordinators support connections between and within counties. We invite you to learn more about what is happening in your county.

New UWLP Resources:

• Data Dashboards: Dashboards on Utahns’ Perceptions about Childcare & Pre-K Programs, Gender Pay Gap, Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture, and Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination have been updated with 2025 data. Track progress towards the 2030 goal targets and filter data based on various demographics.
• Podcast: 100 Companies Championing Women in 2025: Best Practices for Utah Companies

A Bolder Way Forward Resolutions: With 11 local governments across the state already having passed resolutions supporting girls, women, and families, more are on the cusp. Reach out to your local elected officials in your town, city, or county and ask them to do the same. Who will be next?

Check out the UWLP community calendar for all events in Utah for girls and women. To get engaged with BWF, take this Interest Survey, and join us on our social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Subscribe to this newsletter here.

Share this newsletter to help spread the word. Now is the time, Utah is the place, for A Bolder Way Forward!