What problems do you see being the most troubling for women in Athens County?

"Poverty, a lack of job opportunities and sub-par education are huge issues facing everyone in Athens County. I know a lot of strong, hard-working, intelligent women who are doing less than stellar because of the situation here, and it hurts to know that almost anywhere else, they'd thrive."
--Caitlin Seida, 21, a freelance writer from Nelsonville

"The biggest problems I see are a lack of jobs, an overabundance of prescriptions for opioid pain killers, and a crop of female Ohio University, AHS, and AJH students who have too few inches of clothing and too little self respect."
--Erin Hyman, 28, an office manager/delivery driver from Athens

"I'm honestly not sure, but I think encouraging girls to succeed in school is always a positive thing."
--Natalie Knoth, 21, a student/journalism major from Athens

"Fair wage jobs."
--Amanda Sharrai, 33, a community organizer from Athens

"The continuing threat of domestic violence and the way that the cases are viewed. The continued rise of drugs and drug-related crimes are also troubling, not only for women but for everyone."
--Amie Nogrady, 42, a freelance writer from Glouster

"A lack of good jobs. Poverty. Too much domestic violence."
--Lois D. Whealey, 78, a citizen activist/independent humanities scholar from Athens

"Lack of information to get help when and where it is need help. I work for a non-profit organization. I talk to people everyday who need help to get food, housing, jobs, medical attention, etc. I don't always know where someone can get help. There are so many places and people willing to give, but one doesn't always know where to begin."
--Jennifer Cooper, 42, with a non-profit from Stewart

"Some problems I see for women in Athens County are that if you come from a rural family, a low-income family you may not think that you need to continue going to school after high school. Also jobs for women in Athens County are limited to teacher, nurse or doctor, or some variation of those types of professions. I have never met a woman judge in Athens County."
--Kari Lowery, 18, a student from Athens

"I think sexism and ageism is rampant in Athens County, but I believe part of that is due to the soul draining poverty in the area."
--Anne Whitman, 60, an adjunct instructor from Athens

"I think that Athens County is accepting and not limiting to women."
--Tomma Shuler, 37, in health-care management from Athens

"The same problems facing everyone in Athens County. I try not to break everything down into male and female. Instead, I see what is affecting everyone here in Athens County. Poverty, drugs, job loss, etc. I just hope that things get better for everyone here."
--Kate, 24, a cook/dietary aide from Nelsonville

"The lack of job opportunities in this area and the rising crime rate."
--Missy Brown, 40, an RN clinical manager from The Plains

"Homelessness."
--Amber Skorpenske, 20, a student from Pittsburgh

"So many women don't have a stable home life or access to education/support to teach them how to be strong and productive in their lives/communities. They become mothers before they really even know how to care for themselves, and they get stuck in cycles of abusive, controlling relationships and/or single motherhood and often poverty."
--Jessie Daniel, 38, a realtor from Glouster

"Poverty and lack of education. Within the county (areas outside of the city of Athens), there are few successful examples of women. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty, without allowing our children to see successful women who have achieved their goals. Instead, they do what they see being done, which often, isn't much."
--Billie Handa, 29, Director of Development, NBIA, from Nelsonville

"Job and housing availability."
--Daniella Limoli, 20, a student from Athens

"Health care, childcare, education, jobs, access to technology to compete against others on a national scale"
--Janice Phelps Williams, 54, a publisher, writer, illustrator from Athens

"That it seems there is not much else for young girls to do besides get married and have children at young ages. This has been a very common theme in Athens County and surrounding counties for many years and can be seen in many blue-collar towns across the nation. I think that this is what is most troubling for women because it leads to many problems later on that we face in Athens. If we had stronger women role models in our education systems, I think this cycle could be broken."
--Shana Snyder, 22, graduate student/substitute teacher from Athens

"The issues that I see are the same issues that face women worldwide. Poverty, the 'Superwoman' effect (trying to be and do everything), and sexist remarks and attitudes directed our way."
--Marisa Welch, 23, a sales associate and student library assistant from Athens

"As they are the problems for many people in Athens County, lack of employment and poverty (including the lack of state aid to help those in dire need) are probably the biggest problems for women living here. While it is not always noticeable (especially in a college town like Athens, where all you see is the college kids going out spending money on booze and other ridiculous things), the lack of financial stability has hit southeastern Ohio hard, harder in fact than a lot of other places in the nation. Hopefully, with the recession supposedly being "over," this problem will be fixed, or at least lessened, in the near future. "
--Ellen Lambert, 27, a full-time aunt from Albany

"Obesity, meaning a sedentary lifestyle dominated by television and cars, food-shopping dominated by processed high-fructose addictive cheap ingredients, and little exposure or knowledge of nature and the outdoors."
--Alexa Ross, Nelsonville, 63, a retired motel manager/actress from Nelsonville

"Most troubling in Athens County is the acceptance of our economic difficulty. Secondly is probably the acceptance of deadbeat dads. Third I would say the lack of initiative for the opposite sex to contribute to the raising of children. We need to realize the importance of family in making sure the next generation has a solid set of values and morals to continue through to the next generation."
--Tabitha Bond, 40, a business owner from Coolville

"Poverty. Lack of jobs. But of course, that's universal for women AND men, isn't it? Wouldn't it just be a kick in the pants if this tornado pumped up our economy? There's going to be a lot of rebuilding."
--Debbie Williams, 60, a paralegal from Millfield

"Drugs, jobs, equality, voice."
--Darcie Hartley, 36, office assistant -- ABH, from Albany