With Women’s Equality Day around the corner and the U.S. ranking just 43rd for gender equality worldwide, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on the Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to determine where women receive the most equal treatment in American society.
WalletHub compared the 50 states across 17 key metrics. The data set ranges from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity in unemployment rates for women and men to the income gap.
Hawaii was number one in terms of women’s equality, followed by California at number two, Minnesota, Maine and New Mexico rounding out the top five. The bottom five were Missouri at number 46, followed by Idaho, Wyoming, Texas and, at number 50, Utah.
Women’s Equality Day will be observed on Monday, Aug. 26.
Women’s Equality in California (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Overall Rank: 2nd
7th – Earnings Gap
28th – Executive Positions Gap
7th – Work Hours Gap
1st – Educational Attainment Gap (among Advanced Degree Holders)
12th – Minimum-Wage Workers Gap
1st – Unemployment Rate Gap
9th – Entrepreneurship Rate Gap
6th – Political Representation Gap
“Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights. States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women’s equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst. “Hawaii is the best state for women’s equality. There is no gap in the rate of men and women who are minimum-wage workers in Hawaii, and women are only 0.4 percent more likely to be unemployed than men. On the education front, by eighth grade, there is no math test score disparity between boys and girls. And when it comes to politics, Hawaii has no gender disparity among its national representatives.”
For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-women-equality/5835
Expert Commentary
The U.S. is currently ranked 63rd globally when it comes to the gender gap in political empowerment. Are there strategies the U.S. can learn from other countries to help close this gap?
“While the U.S. may have the opportunity to vote for a woman at the top of a major party ticket this year, political representation still lags at all levels. For instance, many states have never had a female governor, and most do not come close to parity in their legislatures. Normalizing women in politics at the local level could help … Parties will need to recruit and promote gender diverse candidates, up and down the ballot more intentionally. The media also needs to intentionally address gender bias in its coverage of candidates and elected leaders, such as calling women by their first names and focusing on their appearance. Any serious effort to address the political gender gap will need to reverse gerrymandering of voting maps. If voters cannot have their voices heard through the electoral process, democracy is harmed, people disengage, and it becomes more difficult to elect new and diverse leaders. Voter suppression bills also harm women as citizens and candidates. Research has shown that moving to a ranked choice voting system that gives voters the option to choose multiple candidates can increase the number of women running in and winning elections.”
Jessie B. Ramey, Ph.D. – Director, Women’s Institute; Associate Professor, Chatham University
“New Zealand offers a fascinating case study especially during the COVID pandemic and how it was handled by an incredibly talented female leader (Jacinda Ardein). The political climate, often driven by direct and aggressive tactics (frequently linked to male-dominated behaviors), aims to impress voters, but these approaches are both unethical and unproductive. Women on average tend to be more indirect and less confrontational, they are not politically rewarded in this environment. To address this, societal expectations must shift to value ethical behavior and integrative problem-solving over manipulative and regressive tactics we currently see on social media and television.”
Katerina (Kate) Bezrukova – Associate Professor and Chair of Organization and Human Resources, University at Buffalo School of Management
What policies would prove effective at increasing female representation in senior management roles in the Fortune 500 and other large, multinational corporations?
“To increase the number of women in senior management, companies need to focus on every step of the corporate ladder, including the bottom rung. That ‘broken rung’ is the crucial first promotion in organizations that research shows is the leakiest part of the pipeline for career advancement. Because women still carry the disproportionate burden of care giving responsibilities, companies need to commit to family friendly policies, including paid family leave, paid sick leave, pregnancy and nursing protections, and support for childcare and other caring labor obligations that contribute to burnout.”
Jessie B. Ramey, Ph.D. – Director, Women’s Institute; Associate Professor, Chatham University
“Implementing policies that address systemic gender biases, such as the stereotype that women are submissive or weak and therefore incapable of leadership, is crucial. Additionally, promoting education that enhances cognitive flexibility can help challenge and change these outdated perceptions.”
Katerina (Kate) Bezrukova – Associate Professor and Chair of Organization and Human Resources, University at Buffalo School of Management
How does inflation affect the gender pay gap?
“People with higher wages are more likely to receive raises at or over the inflation rate, and due to the current gender pay gap, that skews to men. A recent survey found that men are 33.3 percent more likely than women to have their salary keep up with inflation. This negatively affects both families headed by single moms and households with two earners.”
Elizabeth Gregory – Professor; Director, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies & Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality, University of Houston
“Inflation is down significantly from its high point during the COVID 19 pandemic. However, the gender pay gap remains stubbornly real, with women making around 78 percent of what men earn. The gap is far wider for Black, Latina, and Native American women, who make as little as 36 percent of men. And a 2022 survey found that men’s salaries are a third more likely to keep up with inflation than women’s. With women’s wages increasing more slowly than men’s, inflation delivers an extra punch as the growing cost of goods and services shrinks their purchasing power. If interest rates go up in response to inflation, women can experience a disproportionate impact when looking for loans to fund education, housing, or a new small business. Women already pay higher interest rates when banks perceive them as a greater lending risk, and in most states, women are paying more for their mortgages than men. Because the pay gap grows exponentially wider over a woman’s lifetime, inflation can particularly impact older women who face both rising healthcare costs and a retirement savings gap.”
Jessie B. Ramey, Ph.D. – Director, Women’s Institute; Associate Professor, Chatham University
