Work and Family
The equal participation of women in politics and government is integral to building strong communities and a vibrant democracy in which women and men can thrive. By voting, running for office, and engaging in civil society as leaders and activists, women shape laws, policies, and decision-making in ways that reflect their interests and needs, as well as those of their families and communities.
Today, women constitute a powerful force in the electorate and inform policymaking at all levels of government. Yet, women continue to be underrepresented in governments across the nation and face barriers that often make it difficult for them to exercise political power and assume leadership positions in the public sphere. This chapter presents data on several aspects of women’s involvement in the political process in the United States: voter registration and turnout, female state and federal elected and appointed representation, and state-based institutional resources for women. It examines how women fare on these indicators of women’s status, the progress women have made and where it has stalled, and how racial and ethnic disparities compound gender disparities in specific forms of political participation.
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Political Participation Rank and Score by State
Construction Workers Need Paid Leave to Rebuild the Nation
Evidence from California suggests that construction workers face the highest COVID-19 infection rates of any other sector. IWPR’s 2021 survey of tradeswomen across states shows that most construction workers who needed to take leave during COVID-19 had to do so without pay.
Evaluating the Role of Campus Child Care in Student Parent Success
To ensure student parents are wholly supported in their educational pathways, research is needed to understand the connection between quality, affordable child care and student parents’ academic outcomes. Yet several challenges persist that make rigorous study of this connection difficult. Drawing on interviews with campus child care directors and a review of data and relevant literature, this brief presents a snapshot of the availability and importance of campus child care services for student parent success. It concludes with recommendations to improve conditions for rigorous research on the role of campus child care in the outcomes of college students with children.
The Longest Time to Equal Pay: Latinas and the Wage Gap
Latina women are paid less than White men in all states with sufficient sample sizes. They will not see equal pay until 2206.
The Gender Pay Gap, 1985 to 2020—with Forecast for Achieving Pay Equity, by Race and Ethnicity
If progress continue at the same rate as it has since 1985, it will take until 2059 to reach full pay equity between all women and men workers.
Lost Jobs, Stalled Progress: The Impact of the “She-Cession” on Equal Pay
In year one of COVID-19, the gender wage gap narrowed slightly only for full-time, year-round workers, with women in low-paying jobs bearing the brunt of the crisis. For all workers, the gender gap widened slightly.
The Gender Pay Gap, 1960 to 2020—with Forecast for Achieving Pay Equity
If progress continues at the same rate as it has since 1960, it will still take another 39 years, until 2059, to reach full equity between women and men among full-time, year-round workers.
