Fighting Inequity with Action

Pictured above: Charlotte Suhler, left, with Anna Rodriguez and her daughter Genesis, featured in the Community Foundation’s 2008 Annual Report.

Charlotte Suhler, co-founder of the Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls, is a champion for gender equity.

Charlotte Suhler’s passion for empowering women runs deep.

Working in the male-dominated publishing industry during the 1960s, she spent years witnessing gender inequity. Then, later in her career, she experienced the challenges many women face of trying to manage work demands and family. Forced to turn down a job after moving to Darien due to limited availability of childcare, Suhler created a solution for herself and others.

After extensive research on the need, she partnered with the Darien-Norwalk YWCA to initiate the opening of a childcare center that would help support the career ambitions of Fairfield County women. She also served as president of Five Town Foundation, which eventually merged with others to form Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.

Suhler was just getting started. In 1998, she joined late Community Foundation CEO Susan Ross and other key supporters in launching the Fund for Women & Girls to create more opportunities for women in Fairfield County. Since its launch, the Fund has helped thousands of women access resources to improve their futures.

“We had zero dollars but good hearts,” said Suhler. “We all took joy in seeing the impact of the money we could give.

Creating Innovative Solutions for Women
The group initially focused on the most critical issue confronting women in the community: access to affordable housing. After conducting extensive research, the group discovered that most women were able to secure jobs and necessary childcare. But they weren’t earning enough to afford decent housing.

To meet this need, an innovative program was launched to provide loans to women to secure their own apartments. Training programs were also created to educate women on how to get approved for a mortgage to achieve first-time home ownership.

“There’s been many situations in life where I’ve needed to step back to fully realize the inequity I’ve witnessed,” Suhler said. “As the mother of three daughters, I wanted to make sure my children didn’t have to face the same challenges as women before them.”

A Continued Commitment to Leading Change
Today, women in Fairfield County continue to grapple with a major pay gap. On average, they earn 20% less annually than men – a disparity nearly 5% greater than the national average. Women also face significantly higher poverty rates, preventing many from pursuing the future they desire.

Fueled by her passion for advancing equity, Suhler has spearheaded many initiatives over the years in affordable housing, education, the arts, and healthcare. She’s also a fervent advocate for young women participating in sports, which she believes teaches important leadership skills.

Suhler’s long-standing commitment to empowering women, combined with her service and leadership experience in the community, allow her to inspire other women’s rights advocates to lead change.

“Change may start with an observation of just one person, but as others realize needs, we can create impact,” Suhler said.

Learn more and get involved: FCCFoundation.org/FWG