Barbara Gault Ph.D.

About Barbara Gault

Barbara Gault, Ph.D., is the former Executive Vice President of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Her work covers a wide range of issues, including college access and affordability, job quality, paid leave, poverty, political engagement, and the need for better early care and education options for working parents. She founded and lead IWPRs Student Parent Success Initiative, and has authored dozens of reports and publications, including Improving Child Care Access to Promote Postsecondary Success Among Low-Income Parents, Resilient and Reaching for More: Challenges and Benefits of Higher Education for Welfare Participants and Their Children, " and Working First But Working Poor: The Need for Education and Training Following Welfare Reform. She has testified in Congress on low-income women’s educational access, has spoken and delivered keynote presentations in venues throughout the country, and appears in a range of print, radio and television media outlets. Prior to joining IWPR, Dr. Gault conducted research at the Office of Children’s Health Policy Research, and served as a staff and board member of organizations promoting human rights in Latin America. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A. from the University of Michigan. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Coalition on Human Needs, and is a Scholar in Residence at American University.

Undervalued and Underpaid in America: Women in Low-Wage, Female-Dominated Jobs

This report investigates women’s experiences in large, low-wage, growing, female-dominated occupations, comparing demographic data and indicators of economic security between 1994 and 2014, and projecting growth rates to 2024.

Five Ways to Win an Argument about the Gender Wage Gap (Updated 2019)

In this post, we argue that the figure is an accurate measure of the inequality in earnings between women and men who work full-time, year-round in the labor market and reflects a number of different factors: discrimination in pay, recruitment, job assignment, and promotion; lower earnings in occupations mainly done by women; and women’s disproportionate share of time spent on family care, including that they—rather than fathers—still tend to be the ones to take more time off work when families have children.

By Heidi Hartmann, M. Phil., Barbara Gault, Gina Chirillo and Jennifer Clark|2021-02-16T02:11:13-05:00September 16, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on Five Ways to Win an Argument about the Gender Wage Gap (Updated 2019)

Child Care for Parents in College: A State-by-State Assessment

Child care is a crucial support for the 4.8 million parents in college, but it is difficult for students to find and afford.

By Eleanor Eckerson, Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Mary Sykes, Elizabeth Noll, Barbara Gault and Lauren Talbourdet|2020-12-31T00:28:41-05:00September 1, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on Child Care for Parents in College: A State-by-State Assessment

The Gender Patenting Gap

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research reviewed and analyzed published data and literature on women and patenting, finding that women hold an extremely small share of patents, and that at the current rate of progress, gender patent equity is more than 75 years away. This briefing paper presents a snapshot of the data and related recommendations.

By Jessica Milli, Barbara Gault, Emma Williams-Baron and Meika Berlan|2020-12-14T08:03:51-05:00July 21, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on The Gender Patenting Gap

Executive Summary–Pathways to Equity: Narrowing the Wage Gap by Improving Women’s Access to Good Middle-Skill Jobs

This report addresses women’s access to well-paid, growing, middle-skill jobs (jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree). It documents sex segregation in middle-skill jobs, and discusses how gender integration of good jobs could both reduce skill-shortages and improve women’s economic security.

By Ariane Hegewisch, Barbara Gault, Heidi Hartmann and M. Phil.|2020-11-23T22:54:19-05:00March 24, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on Executive Summary–Pathways to Equity: Narrowing the Wage Gap by Improving Women’s Access to Good Middle-Skill Jobs

The Role of the Federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program in Supporting Student Parent Success

Affordable, quality child care is crucial to the postsecondary success of the 4.8 million undergraduate students raising dependent children.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Barbara Gault and Mary Sykes|2020-12-20T17:27:19-05:00February 29, 2016|IWPR|Comments Off on The Role of the Federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program in Supporting Student Parent Success

Paid Sick Days Access and Usage Rates Vary by Race/Ethnicity, Occupation, and Earnings

Utilizing data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this briefing paper estimates the proportion of public and private sector workers ages 18 and older with access to paid sick days, and their use of paid sick days, by race and ethnicity, immigration status, occupation, earnings, job level (supervisor/nonsupervisory status), and other demographic and occupational characteristics.

Research & Policy Update: Student Parents & Access to Child Care at Community Colleges

Power Point presentation from Student Parent Support Symposium session on "Current Student Parent Research & Policy Efforts"

4.8 Million College Students are Raising Children

Over a quarter (26 percent) of all undergraduate students, or 4.8 million students, are raising dependent children. Women are disproportionately likely to be balancing college and parenthood, many without the support of a spouse or partner.

By Barbara Gault, Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Elizabeth Reynolds and Meghan Froehner|2020-09-09T17:12:46-05:00November 17, 2014|Fact Sheet, Student Parent Success Initiative|Comments Off on 4.8 Million College Students are Raising Children

Campus Child Care Declining Even As Growing Numbers of Parents Attend College

Affordable, reliable child care is a crucial support for the 4.8 million college students raising dependent children, but is often tough to find. High child care costs, difficulty obtaining subsidies, and scheduling challenges often create significant obstacles for student parents, and may contribute to their relatively low rates of college completion.

By Barbara Gault, Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Elizabeth Reynolds and Meghan Froehner|2020-12-14T05:47:23-05:00November 17, 2014|IWPR|Comments Off on Campus Child Care Declining Even As Growing Numbers of Parents Attend College