Dear Friends,

It is with pleasure that we bring you the second report in the renewed NJ WomenCount, a series of publications to examine the status of women in our state. This collaborative initiative between the Division on Women of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University seeks to raise awareness about programs and policies supporting women’s progress and to identify areas of continuing need.

Throughout our state exciting work is being done to address complex challenges, yet rapid changes in communities and competing demands for resources call for even greater attention to the differential effects of policies and programs on women and families. By bringing together available data, analyzing demographic trends, and identifying research gaps, NJ WomenCount serves as a valuable tool to inform equitable policies and effective programs.

“Challenge and Change: Younger and Older Women in New Jersey” focuses on factors pertinent to the lives of both younger and older women in the state and discusses how families and living arrangements, economics and work, health, education, and political participation differently affect women at various stages of their lives. We hope NJ WomenCount provides new perspectives on available information and stimulates new questions about what works best to serve women and families.

By gathering and monitoring data on women, NJ WomenCount provides a more inclusive framework for policymakers, educators, and community leaders to devise strategies for change and ensure a better future for all New Jerseyans. Our goal is to provide timely reports on topics important to decision makers at every level and of vital interest to the women and men of New Jersey. At the same time we strive to increase women’s participation in leadership and decision making at all levels. Towards these ends, we have created Women’s Leadership Fact Sheets which will be a new part of the series.

We welcome your comments on “Challenge and Change: Younger and Older Women in New Jersey” and invite your ideas for future NJWomenCount reports. Please visit our on-line information centers at http://iwl.rutgers.edu and http://www.nj.gov/dca/dow.

Institute for Women's Leadership
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
162 Ryders Lane
New Brunswick , NJ 08901-8555
Phone: (732) 932-1463
Fax: (732) 932-4739
Web: http://iwl.rutgers.edu/