This Summit is designed for rural practitioners, leaders, and advocates to articulate the broad civic, political, and cultural impact of women’s leadership in rural America, to name the ways rural women are agents of change, to call out the barriers rural women face every day, and to proclaim the powerful role rural women play in creating compassionate communities.
For the last decade, the Rural Assembly has convened a national network of leaders and advocates who represent the rich diversity of the rural experience. Together, we’ve created opportunities to work with funders, policy makers, and national public-interest groups, and we’ve brought attention to rural America’s challenges and strengths in ways that will encourage better policies and results.
The Rural Women’s Summit emphasizes the role rural women play in creating a more equitable and inclusive nation. We know rural women are often the primary organizers, leaders, creators, and implementers of more just and inclusive efforts in their communities. Yet they are also more likely to experience the trauma of inequities across all measures of health, economic security, connection, power, and safety.
In this space, we will honor the diverse stories and experiences of rural women, particularly women of color, Native women, and immigrants by engaging them as speakers and framers at all levels of community building and empowerment. In line with our focus on building an inclusive nation, this summit will be open to all advocates committed to building a more just and inclusive nation.