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
Numbers Matter: Women Working in Construction
In 2024, the number of women working in construction trades was the highest ever, with 366,360 working in construction and extraction occupations. Since 2015, the number of tradeswomen has increased by almost 160,000, or 77.3 percent. Construction careers, including apprenticeships, are attracting an increasing [...]
Black Women Need Better Access to Leadership Positions—and Equal Pay When They Get There
Attaining postsecondary education offers economic mobility for Black women; however, it is not enough to eliminate the disparities they experience in advancing to leadership roles. Black women in the United States continue to experience a steady increase in successfully earning college degrees but are [...]
When Care Fails, Generations Suffer: The Ripple Effect of the Black Maternal Health Crisis
The ongoing crisis of Black maternal mortality is not only a personal tragedy but also a preventable loss with profound, lasting effects on children, families, and entire communities. This brief builds on others in this series by shedding light on the broad and long-term [...]
