slides: Massachusetts Ranked #15 in Best States for Women

Monday, September 30, 2013

GoLocalWorcester News Team

The state of women in America is filled with gaps and inconsistencies, and for the women of Massachusetts, the picture is not much rosier.

Women in Massachusetts are faring well in some ways, and poorly in others, adding up to an overall national ranking of #15, according to a new, broad-based survey of data compiled by The Center For American Progress, a progressive policy research and advocacy organization based in Washington DC, and headed by Massachusetts native Neera Tanden.

To see the numbers behind Massachusetts's ranking, see the slides, below.

The brand-new ranking, The State of Women in America, assessed 36 factors grouped under three main categories: Economic Security, Leadership, and Health. The role of women in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades," according to Anna Chu and Charles Posner, the report's authors. "For one, more and more women have taken on new responsibilities outside the home by joining the paid workforce." While women made up only about one-third of the workforce in 1969, they point out, women today make up almost half of all workers in the United States.

"Women are also stepping up to lead the country," Chu and Posner say. Nationally, "a record number of women ran for public office in 2012, and a record-high percentage of women are serving in Congress." In addition to making progress on issues of economics and leadership, "women have made progress on health issues, which impact women’s personal well-being, as well as their economic security. Over the past few years, women have been able to end gender discrimination by big insurance companies and gain free contraception coverage because of the Affordable Care Act."

In Central MA: Developing the next generation of women leaders

In Central Massachusetts, the Women's Initiative of the United Way sees the challenge for developing leadership locally on these very issues crucial, and places key focus on developing those leaders young. "Opportunities to invest in young women’s leadership is essential to social change now and in the future," said Jennifer Potts. Communications Director for the United Way of Central Massachusetts. On September 18, the Women's Initiative held its annual Stepping Up For Girls event in support of its youth initiatives. Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, another example of rising women's political leadership on the municipal level, gave the keynote address on women's leadership and philanthrophy.

Gender gaps nationally and in Massachusetts

But, as the study's results point out, substantial inequalities remain. Although an increasing number of women are either the sole breadwinner for their family or share the role with their partners, women in the United States are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. (In Massachusetts, the rate is slightly higher than the national average--at 77 cents on the dollar). The pay gap is even larger for women of color. On average, African American women make 64 cents for every dollar that white men make, and in Massachusetts that number is even lower--60 cents on the dollar.

"While 2012 was a watershed year for women in terms of getting elected to public office, women still comprise only 18.1 percent of Congress, despite making up more than half of the U.S. population," according to Chu and Posner. "They also face challenges on health issues, as 2012 saw continued conservative efforts to erode women’s ability to make their own decisions about their health and well-being." In Massachusetts, women fared best on the national rankings in the areas of Health, placing #6 in the nation.

Hollow victories

"In the wake of the dramatic election year [of 2012], the sense of angry challenge and the promise of something new have faded, and many women are left feeling that all the 'woman' talk has proven hollow," said Judith Warner, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. "They have seen themselves proclaimed the 'winners' of our current economy— while watching their male colleagues outearn them at all ages and in all fields. They have been passed over for promotions, and know they are looked down upon professionally—no matter how well, how much, or how hard they work— if they make a visible priority of taking time to care for their kids."

They are stressed and stretched to the full extent of their capabilities, Warner said, "working hard and doing as much as they can as the primary caretakers in their families—and yet still feel as if they are not spending enough time with their loved ones. They are not earning enough or saving enough. They are scared about paying for health care, college, and—above all—retirement. And as breadwinners responsible for their family’s economic security, they are tired of hearing their challenges narrowed down to “women’s issues”—for they know these problems deeply affect all the people who matter most in their lives."

Where does Massachusetts sit in this uneven landscape for American women?

Massachusetts: Bottom half of New England

As the data and slides below show, performance on the study's various factors varied widely, with the Bay State's best performance on Health-related factors being balanced by a dismal ranking on Economic Security. In Leadership, where the state received a B grade and placed a decent #14 nationwide, the picture is equally inconsistent. Consider the high-profile victory of Elizabeth Warren, but contast it with the fact that the state's percentage of women in State Legislature is only 25.5%, ranking #22 nationwide.

Overall, Massachusetts ranked #4 among the New England states. It fell behind Vermont, which placed #3 in the nation for women, and Connecticut, which placed #6. Rhode Island nudged ahead of Massachusetts in the ranking, taking the #14 spot. Falling behind the Bay State was New Hampshire at #18 and Maine at #20.