Report shows which states women have more and less power in
Dr. Nicole Mason speaks about the results of a new study that looked at which places in the U.S. have women-friendly policies and outcomes.
New research shows which states women have more and less power in.
The U.S. Women's Power and Influence Index ranks women’s power and influence across all 50 states from best to worst using 18 well-being indicators and a bundle of nine critical public policies for women and families. It was released by Future Forward Women, a group of leaders and progressive organizations that provides research, policy and legislative analysis, and strategy to strengthen and leverage campaigns for women’s equality.
The report's author, Dr. C. Nicole Mason, was named one of FORTUNE Magazine's World’s Greatest Leaders. She is the President/CEO of Future Forward Women and the author of Born Bright: A Young Girl’s Journey From Nothing to Something in America.
“A woman's economic wellbeing and overall wellbeing is determined by state borders,” Mason said.
“There have been few times in history where that has been the case, where you as a person or an individual could go and live in one state and have one set of rights and responsibilities and move to another state and have different kinds of responsibilities as well as outcome.”
Washington, D.C., ranked No. 1, and the state of Alabama ranked last in terms of women’s power and influence in the U.S.
It wasn't just how they scored on public policy. It was the levels of women living in poverty, the lower medium earnings, the lower educational attainment, health outcomes, and so on. Across the board, both those states ranked low or less on all of those indicators. They also had less political representation for women.
Low rankings were attributed to several factors, including how they scored on public policy, the level of poverty among women, average income, and educational attainment. Health outcomes also played a role. In many states, obstetrical deserts, or areas without an OB/GYN, are much more significant.
“In states that rank lower, less in our power and influence index, women were less likely to have access to the full range of reproductive health,” Mason said.
“The states that ranked highest in the index were more likely to have not only solid reproductive rights policies, but they were also likely to have other kinds of policies, such as paid sick and family leave.”
Mason recommends states embrace policies that address poverty and maternal care to build women’s power.
“They can take these reasons seriously and see them as an opportunity to understand what women and families in their states need to access opportunity and to be successful,” Mason said.