North Salt Lake has become the first city in Utah to endorse the “A Bolder Way Forward” initiative. The city council voted unanimously to endorse BWF at its meeting on Nov. 19. The vote came after a presentation from Dr. Susan Madsen, founder/director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University.

“I love living in Utah, and there’s a few areas where women really shine,” she told the council. “Our volunteerism leads the nation, and we’re 12th in terms of women’s physical fitness. But many people do not realize the struggles that women and girls have in this state.”

Madsen said she has concerns for both men and women, boys and girls, and worries about issues for both genders. She said that “when you look at life and the differences between men and women, some elements cover us all, but there are areas that we need to address separately.”

“We are ranked for 10 years in a row as the worst state for women’s equality,” she told council members. “We are the sixth worst state in terms of having victims of rape and sexual assault. We are above the national average in terms of domestic violence. One in six women in this state have been or will be raped. One in seven children will experience sexual assault. We are ranked as having the widest margin for gender pay gap in the country. We are 49th worst in terms of women and depression, and women’s preventative health care. There are things in this state that we need to change.”

BWF began in June 2023 with a seven-year goal to empower women in all facets of their lives. She said there is much good in the nation and the world, but more change needs to happen. Madsen said she subscribes to “the abundance mentality… that we can lift and be lifted. That’s what this work is all about.”

Change takes time, but Madsen said they are happening, albeit slowly.

“Some say it could take three to four decades – 30 to 40 years – to get the violence rates down and gender inequity behind us. That’s not accessible. It’s time to take ‘A Bolder Way Forward.’”

Madsen said the misconception that empowering women takes away from families is untrue.

“If we empower women and men and girls and boys, we can have stronger families.We need to create change by 2030, and check in on our progress in 2026. We launched in 2023 with a goal of seven years to lead a change from outputs to outcomes. Instead of just doing programs, let’s be more strategic.”

BWF has created what it calls the Wheel of Change – consisting of five different categories and 18 spokes. Those categories are education, health and wellness, safety and security, workplace, and community engagement. The spokes represent specific actions that need to be taken. On the BWF website are a list of companies, organizations and community leaders who are supporting the initiative. Today, 250 leaders and about 4,000 individuals have become engaged in the cause, she said, with the goal of raising that to more than 10,000 by next June.

One such advocate is NSL councilmember Lisa Watts Baskin, who serves as a Champion for BWF and wrote the resolution council approved.

“I’m hoping that it will be a grassroots effort that builds naturally…it’s organic,” she said. “That is the beauty of change – when it comes naturally and not forced. Susan’s process has also been organic. This thing has grown in a way that’s very natural and healthy. There are problems that can be solved that are measurable. As a city, we can say it is our mission to embrace this mission so that women and girls thrive.”

North Salt Lake is one of just three cities in Utah with four women on their city councils. Baskin said the idea that change is accessible “is what we’re trying to show. What I love about what we’re doing is that it’s not only advocacy, but it’s education. It’s seeking awareness and then seeking solutions. It’s a chance to change the perspective, to say that we as a community want to embrace positivity in this particular area that needs work. What I love most about this is we’re building, we’re moving forward.”

Madsen said her organization is developing metrics for cities and counties to use to measure progress. All 29 counties in Utah have created their own BWF coalitions.

Mayor Brian Horrocks joined others on the council in praising the initiative.

“We want to approve this overarching outcome, and we’re going to find our own way to do it,” he said.

Information about BWF, along with its Wheel of Change and its programs, can be found online at usu.edu/uwlp/a-bolder-way-forward/overview. λ