February 2026 Newsletter

Good morning! I have several Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) announcements for February:

First, I am pleased to announce the release of a new research white paper titled “Women’s Safety & Security 2025: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This is the third of five white papers being released that share the results of our UWLP 2025 statewide fall study. This one focuses on what Utahns think about child sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and poverty and homelessness. Additionally, a few weeks ago we released the second white paper in the series titled “Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, STEM Fields, and Leadership Development.”

Second, RSVP for the last two webinars in our 2026 Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series:

• Feb 9: Women Leading Behind Walls: Leadership in Utah’s Correctional Facilities (Sharon D’Amico & Bisera Habibija)
• Feb. 11: Leadership in Times of Grief & Crisis: Insights from Astrid S. Tuminez (Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez)

Third, we have a few resources to highlight this month:

• UWLP Podcast Episodes (with Utah Public Radio): Substance Use Disorders Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update, Belonging in Utah: Findings from Community Conversations with Women of Color, and 100 Companies Championing Women in 2025: Best Practices for Utah Companies
• Upcoming Events: A Bolder Way Forward hosts, offers, partners, and collaborates on events across the state.
• Community Calendar: View our community calendar for all events in Utah for girls and women.

Finally, check out some key articles and media published this past month:

• Homelessness Among Utah Women (LinkedIn, Jan. 28, 2026)
• Voices: When Religion and Sexism Collide, Women’s Health Suffers (The Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 18, 2026)
• 100 Companies Championing Women: Best Practices for Utah Companies (LinkedIn, Jan. 13, 2026)
• Statewide Survey Reveals Workplace Concerns for Utah Women (Townlift, Jan. 12, 2026)
• Study: Utah Could Expand Child Care Offerings, Women's Workplace Advancement Opportunities (KSL, Jan. 11, 2026)
• USU UWLP Releases Research on Utah Women in the Workplace (KVNU, Jan. 10, 2026)
• Perspective: Choosing Abundance in a Culture of Scarcity (Deseret News, Jan. 8, 2026)
• Why Utah Still Can’t Confront Violence Against Women (Utah News Dispatch, Jan. 7, 2026)
• Women in Utah: Voting Trends and Civic Participation (LinkedIn, Jan. 6, 2026)
• MADSEN: Are There Differences in the Ways that Girls and Boys See the World? (Daily Herald & Standard Examiner, Jan. 3, 2026)

Join us on the UWLP social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Email uwlp@usu.edu to let us know you want to receive these updates to your own inbox if you received a forwarded email.

Enjoy February!

Susan

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen
Extension Professor of Leadership
Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project
Extension | Utah State University
Phone: 435-797-0873
Web: utwomen.org
Email: susan.madsen@usu.edu