Political Participation
Shaping their own future
When women participate in the political process, they shape policies in ways that reflect their interests and needs. The Status of Women in the States’ Political Participation Index looks at women as voters, grassroots activists and campaign fundraisers, and officeholders and examines the uneven progress they have made.
Articles and Publications
Poverty, Gender, and Public Policies
Over the last few decades, women’s increased labor force participation, education, and earnings have helped many women attain economic security. Yet, a substantial number of women in the United States face economic hardship.
The Status of Women in the South
The Status of Women in the South builds on IWPR’s long-standing analyses and reports, The Status of Women in the States, that have provided data on the status of women nationally and for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia since 1996. The Status of Women in the South uses data from U.S. government and other sources to analyze women’s status in the southern United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Florida Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Get to the Bricks: The Experiences of Black Women from New Orleans Public Housing After Hurricane Katrina
Get to the Bricks: The Experiences of Black Women from New Orleans Public Housing After Hurricane Katrina presents the results of qualitative research conducted with 184 low-income black women who lived in public housing prior to Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans, and who were displaced by the hurricane and the closure and demolition of their housing.
The Status of Women in the States: 2015
The Status of Women in the States: 2015 provides critical data to identify areas of progress for women in states across the nation and pinpoint where additional improvements are still needed. It presents hundreds of data points for each state across seven areas that affect women’s lives: political participation, employment and earnings, work and family, poverty and opportunity, reproductive rights, health and well-being, and violence and safety.
Student Parents and Financial Aid
This brief aims to explain the circumstances of student parents – particularly vis-á-vis the financial aid system – as well as detail major federal programs that could impact student parents’ college-going experience.
Increasing Pathways to Legal Status for Immigrant In-Home Care Workers
This paper explores options for reforming the U.S. visa system to increase the pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrant women interested in providing long-term care for the elderly and for individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
