The Status of Women in the States project ranks and grades Maine across several areas of women’s lives. While Maine performs better in some areas, no matter the rank, there are still barriers and inequities that prevent women from succeeding and thriving. Across all indices, Maine ranks toward the top of states in the country. Maines’s performance is the strongest on the Political Participation and Reproductive Rights indices. Maines’s performance is weakest on the Employment and Earnings and the Health and Well-Being indices.
Explore the Data
As state policies and programs have changed over the years, so has the status of women in Maine. Since 1996, Maine has made progress in some areas, while lagging in others.
Articles and Publications
Abortion Bans Hurt State Economies
States that restrict abortion tend to have lower GDP per capita. Economists use gross domestic product (GDP) per capita to measure the size of state economies, with a real national average of $67,000 in 2023. This approach adjusts for the number of people in [...]
The Economic and Workforce Impact of Restrictive Abortion Laws
This report examines the far-reaching economic effects of the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned Roe v. Wade and gave states the authority to ban abortion. By 2023, nearly half of the 49.5 million prime working-age women in [...]
Gender Disparities in Associate’s Degrees by Field of Study and Implications for Future Earnings
Research from IWPR shows how gender disparities in associate's degree attainment impact earnings. Women are more likely to earn degrees in fields with lower wages, and this updated fact sheet explores the latest data from the US Department of Education, examining trends in associate’s [...]
