Utah Women & Leadership Podcast

In this episode, we discuss a recently released research snapshot titled “Utah Gender Pay Gap: A 2025 Update.” The snapshot provides an update to the 2017 and 2021 reports, offering an overview of the gender pay gap. It defines what the gender pay gap is, its components, and why it matters. It also examines the unique economic, cultural, and structural factors that contribute to Utah’s especially wide gap. Understanding these patte...

In this episode we discuss a recently released research snapshot titled “Cosmetic Surgery and Body Image Among Utah Women: A 2025 Update.” This snapshot examines how cultural, social, religious, and personal factors influence body image, perceptions of cosmetic surgery and beauty standards in Utah. Using state and national data, the report explores whether Utah’s reputation for high rates of elective cosmetic procedures reflects re...

In this episode, we discuss a recently released research snapshot titled “Utah Women and Fertility: Trends and Changes from 1970–2023.” This snapshot examines how cultural, social, economic, religious, and personal factors have shaped childbearing decisions in Utah over time. Using state and national data, the report explores whether Utah’s fertility trends align with or diverge from national patterns. The analysis highlights four ...

In this episode we discuss a recently released policy brief titled “The Status of Women and Entrepreneurship in Utah: A 2025 Update.” This report builds on earlier studies from 2016 and 2020, offering fresh insights into the progress women entrepreneurs have made in Utah’s booming economy, as well as the challenges that still remain. Drawing from recent data, national trends, and expert perspectives, the research provides a clear p...

In this episode we discussed a recently released research snapshot titled “Utah Women and Mental Health: A 2025 Update.” This research provides an updated overview of women’s mental health in Utah, drawing on recent statewide data and analysis to better understand current rates, contributing factors, and efforts to improve well-being for girls, women, and their families. Findings show that Utah ranks second in the nation for adults...

In this episode we discussed a recently released research and policy brief titled “Utah Women in STEM Education: A 2025 Update.” The good news is that Utah women’s participation in the STEM workforce has grown, from 17.1% in 2015, to 24.0% in 2023. Yet, there is still a huge gap. Importantly, you cannot get more women in STEM unless more women get college degrees in STEM areas, which means there is interest and preparation at the h...

In this episode we discuss a research report released in May titled “Women and Finances - What Utahns Need to Know: A 2025 Update.” In Utah through the years, many women have not dealt with money as that was considered a task for men, but Utah women are more involved than ever in the workforce, are more likely to be single, are bearing fewer children, and are older during major life events involving family—all factors that may impa...

In this episode, Dr. Susan R. Madsen and guests discussed a recently released research whitepaper titled “What Utahns Can Do to Strengthen Girls & Women: Findings from Community Conversations Across Utah.” This research is grounded in a statewide research effort that brought together voices from 28 county-level “think tank” discussions (2 counties were held together) held between 2022 and 2024. These conversations focused on un...

In Utah’s early history, women were highly engaged politically; in fact, Utah women citizens were the first in the US to vote under an equal suffrage law in 1870. Utah was also the first state to elect a female state senator (elected over her own husband in the same race), and as recently as 1992, Utah women had the highest voter turnout in the nation at 76.0%. However, by 2006, Utah women’s voting rates plummeted to 51st (50 state...

This episode discusses a topic within a new white paper report titled “Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions.” This is the final report of our statewide study conducted in the fall of 2024 at the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) that explores how Utahns view the challenges facing women and girls. This report looks at public perceptions of discrimination and sexism across key areas of life, bu...

This episode discusses a topic within a new white paper report titled “Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions.” This is the final report of our statewide study conducted in the fall of 2024 at the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) that explores how Utahns view the challenges facing women and girls. This report looks at public perceptions of discrimination and sexism across key areas of life, bu...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has four main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of male allyship. 

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by the leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s Male Allyship Impact Team. Colleen Orton ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has four main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of political and civic representation. 

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by one of the co-leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s Political ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has four main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of health across the lifespan. 

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by two leaders from A Bolder Way Forward’s Health Across the Lifespan ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Home, Health, Community, & Allyship: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has four main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of home and family.

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by two of the co-leaders of A Bolder Way Forward’s Home & Family Spoke. JaLee ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Women, Finance, and Education: Utahns Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has three main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of K-12 initiatives. 

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by one of the co-leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s K-12 Initiatives Spoke. Deanie Wimmer ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Women, Finance, and Education: Utahns Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has three main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of higher education attainment.

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by one of the co-leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s Higher Education Attainment ...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Women, Finance, and Education: Utahns Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has three main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of finance.

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by two of the co-leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s Finance Spoke. Susan Speirs is the CEO of the Ut...

This episode discusses a topic within a new Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report titled, “Women in the Workplace Part 2: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes.” This report has four main areas of focus, and today we’ll be discussing the area of leadership development.

Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by two of the leaders for A Bolder Way Forward’s Leadership Development Spoke. First,...