Skip to main content

We Thrive

In my role, as a woman leader and as Chair of the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, I’m focused on how we can stand together and uplift each other’s voices to build the pathways to thrive.

Women make up nearly half of the population in Illinois, and yet they often face a disproportionate number of challenges when striving to become financially independent. In December 2023, the Office of the Lt. Governor launched a new initiative called We Thrive. We Thrive is committed to fostering financial freedom and well-being for all women in Illinois. From expanding equitable childcare so working mothers have support to ensuring women and girls receive the financial literacy education they need to live well — there is more work to do.

Our Goals

  • Gather critical information to inform legislative and policy decisions and to develop community-driven programs.
  • Help women build confidence around their finances.
  • Convene and solidify a network of resources designed specifically for women regarding financial services.
We Thrive One-pager  |  Social Media Toolkit

The launch kicked off with a roundtable discussion hosted by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. Women from various business sectors and diverse life experiences convened to discuss the obstacles they have faced in their financial journeys. The Lt. Governor will travel across Illinois to host a series of smaller discussions called We Chats, bringing diverse groups of women together to listen and learn from each other and elicit the existing wisdom within our communities.

As this initiative progresses, the Office of the Lt. Governor will work to solidify a network of resources designed specifically for women regarding financial services. Many state agencies, including the Department of Labor, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and Department of Central Management Services, already offer programs to support women’s financial well-being. We Thrive is another way for the Lt. Governor to partner with those state agencies and uplift the existing services so that more women know where and how to access support.