Mississippi women are economic drivers for their families and the broader Mississippi economy. And yet, Mississippi’s laws, public policies, workplaces, and schools place barrier after barrier in the way of women and girls succeeding and thriving.

But Mississippi women and girls are not accepting the status quo; they are driving change. They are meeting across the state—in libraries, church halls, community centers, and the state legislature—to push for everyone to have real opportunities to thrive unbound by unfair and discriminatory practices and antiquated laws and attitudes. Black women, who live at the intersection of these racial and gender biases, have long been at the center of movements to overhaul the state’s discriminatory laws and policies.

This report comes out of that organizing and sets out a forward-thinking agenda that puts Mississippi’s women and girls on the pathway to achieving gender equity and justice.