We are
receiving quite a bit of tremendous feedback on SHE MATTERS: 2012 Status of
Women and Girls in Iowa, the report we released last week at the Iowa
Women’s Leadership Conference. As we continue to publicize the
information, I will be submitting an op-ed piece to the Des Moines Register and
the Business Record which will include some of the highlights. Here is
the copy for the op-ed:
OP-ED submission
SHE MATTERS: 2012 Status of Women
and Girls in Iowa
May 2012
The World Bank calls investing in women “smart economics”
because research shows economic growth for women has a critical multiplier
effect. Women are more likely to share their personal economic gains with
their families and communities; in fact, women reinvest 90% of their income in food,
healthcare, home improvement, and schooling for themselves and their
children. In short, “women’s progress” is “society progress.”
In Iowa, there are changes in the lives of girls and women that
we see every day:
×
we’ve embraced more
women in our military
×
more women are
attending and graduating from college
×
more women are in our
labor force
×
girls are reaching
greater proficiency in academics, including science and mathematics
×
women’s life
expectancy has increased
Although these are reasons to celebrate, research presented in a
new report from the Iowa Women’s Leadership Project, SHE MATTERS: 2012
Status of Women and Girls in Iowa, tells us that for many Iowa females, the
vision of self-sufficiency, independence, and opportunity isn’t within reach.
This report provides a measure of the demographics of our state,
the health and well-being of our girls and women, the achievement and autonomy
we’ve attained, and the employment and income levels we’ve reached.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, women and girls comprise just
over half (50.5%) of our state population. Since the 1070, Iowa women’s
participation in the workforce has more than doubled – today over 80% of Iowa
women ages 16 to 64 are working.
With this enormous increase in the female workforce, Iowa women
– like women throughout the country – still earn only 79% of what men earn when
all other factors are equal. This may seem insignificant, but consider
that collectively, Iowa women are paid over $4.1 trillion less annually due to
this wage gap. Per woman, this could mean 82 weeks of groceries, 8 months
of mortgage payments, 29 months of family health insurance, or over 2,000
gallons of gas.
And there are other glaring disparities:
×
21.3% of Iowa’s
legislators are female
×
women hold only 11% of
executive positions in Iowa’s insurance businesses
×
only 16% of corporate
board positions are held by women
×
the number of
women-owned businesses has dropped over the last decade
×
13% of Iowa women have
no health insurance, 14% live in poverty, and over 80% of homeless families are
females with children
×
Nearly ¾ Iowa’s
nursing home population and 2/3 of home health care patients are female
When we see these indicators, we
realize that not only have women not progressed – in many cases, we’ve lost
ground. The facts underscore the reality that the value of Iowa’s (and
our country’s) women and girls must be demonstrated. By adequate
earnings. By career and promotion opportunities. By assuring
safety. And by having an equal voice for all decisions affecting
Iowans. When these are realities, women and girls can participate fully
in the life of Iowa communities.
We can do better, and we will do
better. The Iowa Women’s Leadership Project has engaged women and
organizations throughout the state to provide input and energy toward changing
the trend lines. Our intent is that our daughters, nieces, and
granddaughters will have role models will have role models that reflect Iowa’s
population – half of our leaders, at a minimum, will be women.
SHE MATTERS: 2012 Status of Women
and Girls in Iowa has been created by a public/private partnership of Iowa
organizations forming the Iowa Women’s Leadership Project. The report was
released at the 2012 Iowa Women’s Leadership Conference in April, and will
serve as a guide for the partnership’s shared work to improve the quality of
life for Iowa’s women and girls.
