INSTITUTEINSTITUTE for for QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Women’sQUARTERLY Policy NEWSLETTER Research Women’s Policy Research Special Edition: IWPR Culminates Groundbreaking Series on the Status of Women in the United States, 2015 By Sarah Blugis, Communications Intern and in each state. The report found that if tury. Overall, the best place for women’s Rachel Linn, Communications Associate current trends continue, women in the employment and earnings is the District On May 20, IWPR released the Status of United States will not achieve equal pay of Columbia, while the worst is West Women in the States: 2015 comprehen- until 2058, and in five states women will Virginia. The grades take into account sive full report, providing national and not see equal pay until the next cen- women’s earnings, the (cont’d on p. 3) state-level data on women’s progress in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States overall. IWPR desig- nated the best and worst states based on scores on composite indices developed by IWPR—Employment & Earnings, Poverty & Opportunity, Health & Well- Being, Reproductive Rights, Political Par- ticipation, and on Work & Family, a new composite index for the 2015 edition. The report also features national and state data on Violence & Safety. Minnesota received the top ranking, while Missis- sippi and Alabama tied for worst. Since the first Status of Women in the States release in 1996, the reports have been used to inspire community and private investment in programs and policies that improve women’s lives throughout the United States. The report and 51 state fact sheets are available for download on the project’s interactive website, www.statusofwomen- data.org. Each topic section on the web- IWPR data on the status of millennial women was featured in a Glamour magazine exclusive. site includes data by race and ethnicity, The map, above, highlights trends pertaining to millennial women in each state. making the website the most accessible, comprehensive source of state-level data on women of color in the United States. How Partners are Using IWPR’s In March, IWPR released the first report Status of Women in the States Data in the series, Employment & Earnings, By Sarah Blugis, Communications Intern and giving interviews to NPR affiliate KPLU which included first-ever projections Rachel Linn, Communications Associate for when the gender wage gap will close and The Seattle Times, Women’s Funding IWPR partnered with over 50 local, Alliance staff traveled throughout Wash- state, and national organizations for ington to share the data with employ- TABLE OF CONTENTS Status of Women in the States: 2015. Us- ers, policymakers, program providers, ing Status of Women data, policymakers funders, and advocates. and advocates reach out to the media and The Women’s Fund of Southeastern President’s Message ................................. 2 raise awareness about women’s needs in Massachusetts localized IWPR’s data Status of Women Launch, cont’d ............ 3 the states and communities to advance for counties in their area, highlighting Status of Women Release Event ............. 4 the interest of women and their families. poverty rates in nearby cities, and held a The Seattle-based Women’s Funding Al- press conference with the Mayor of New Status of Women Partners, cont’d........... 6 liance is using findings from the Status of Bedford, MA. The group also sat down Media Highlights.......................................... 6 Women in the States to focus attention on with local editorial boards to present data women’s leadership and economic oppor- from the Status of Women in the States Summer 2015 tunity in Washington State. In addition to report, resulting in stories (cont’ d on p. 6) I W P R President’s Message BOARD OF DIRECTORS At IWPR’s wide-ranging media coverage, this year Holly Fechner, Chair May 20th marks the first time that popular culture Lorretta Johnson, Vice Chair release event has been so in tune with the work that Susan Meade, Secretary Sylphiel Yip, Treasurer for The Status we do at IWPR. The employment chap- William Baer of Women ter was featured on “The Daily Show” Martha Darling in the States: in a very creative ‘newscast’ by Kristin Ellen Delany 2015, “Achiev- Schaal, as well as “Inside Amy Schumer!” Cindy Estrada ing Gender I’m almost afraid to watch the Schumer Lynn Gitlitz David A. Goslin Equality in our episode “Not cool with it,” let alone “Sexy Ellen Karp Lifetimes: A Bold Vision for Advancing Rodeos,” both of which linked directly to Kai-yan Lee the Status of Women,” I made closing our web page on pay equity, crashing the Cynthia Lloyd remarks that I would like to share with IWPR website in the middle of the night! William Rodgers, III you here. I began by thanking our Board The times, they really are a changing! Sheila Wellington Marcia Worthing Chair, Holly Fechner, who not only gave When we see these kinds of issues being Cathy Zoi me a generous introduction but emceed raised at the Academy Awards and on Leslie Platt Zolov the entire event superbly; our fantastic “The Daily Show,” it illustrates something speakers; our many Board members who special going on in our society—a new, STAFF were present; and the financial supporters pervasive awareness of the injustice faced Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D., President of this important project, including the by women coupled with the presence of Barbara Gault, Ph.D., Vice President and Executive Director Ford Foundation, the American Federa- women in a position to do something Research tion of Teachers, and the Women’s Fund- about it. Glamour, another popular cul- Jeffrey Hayes, Ph.D., Study Director ing Network. I also acknowledged NOW ture vehicle, kicked off the media blitz of Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director and OWL, two national women’s organi- IWPR’s work in their spring fashion issue, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Study Director Jessica Milli, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate zations that also supported this project. which hit the stands in February. Glam- Chandra Childers, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow This report marks IWPR’S first compre- our featured IWPR’s customized research Julie Anderson, Research Associate hensive national report on the Status of on millennial women and also designed a Lindsey Reichlin, Research Associate and Program Manager Women in the States (SWS) since 2004. fabulous U.S. map in hot pink (see cover), Elyse Shaw, Research Associate Between 1996 and 2004 IWPR produced capturing something unique about the Mary Sykes, Research and Program Coordinator Yana Mayayeva, Research Assistant 5 national reports and 51 reports on status of young women in each state with Jenny Xia, Research Assistant every state in the nation and the District just a few words. Administration of Columbia. While that series ended in This raised consciousness and height- Janet Mullen, Director of Finance and Human Resources 2004, IWPR has continued to produce ened visibility indicate to me that we are Gina Chirillo, Special Assistant to the President dozens of individual reports for states, likely to see a lot more organizing and Erin Thorp, IT & Business Operations Specialist Development localities, and regions commissioned by activity around these issues in the U.S, as Ryan Koch, Director of Development various organizations and foundations. our speaker and MacArthur Fellow Ai- Rachel Eichhorn, Development Coordinator This is the first time in 11 years that Jen Poo called for, making women’s issues Communications IWPR has had the opportunity to pro- central to the upcoming elections. Jennifer Clark, Senior Communications Manager duce a comprehensive national report on While the issue of unequal pay has Mallory Mpare, Senior Communications Associate the status of women in the United States. been discussed by politicians for several Rachel Linn, Communications Associate I must acknowledge the many contri- decades without resolution, we are start- AFFILIATED RESEARCHERS Cynthia Deitch, Ph.D., butions of IWPR’s staff, especially the out- ing to see new tools being introduced The George Washington University (GWU) standing leadership of Dr. Cyndi Hess, a to achieve pay equity. One is employer Cynthia Harrison, Ph.D., super competent and completely unflap- disclosure of the gender pay gap, which is The George Washington University (GWU) Jane Henrici, Ph.D., pable Study Director who coordinated the now required in some states and locali- The George Washington University (GWU) many moving parts of this project over a ties for businesses to compete for city Avis Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D., period of 18 months, writing much of the and state contracts. Non-retaliation for Founder of the Exceptional Leadership report herself, mobilizing a team of staff talking about pay, while a federal right Institute for Women Sunhwa Lee, Ph.D., Asian Development Bank members and interns who put in tremen- already, is most honored in the breach, so Jennifer Lucas, Ph.D., St. Anselm College dous effort to analyze and fact check data, new tools are being developed to make Gwendolyn Mink, Ph.D., present the data in tables and graphics, that right real in practice. Several states Senior Consulting Political Scientist and meet the many deadlines this project have now passed non-retaliation laws, Lois Shaw, Ph.D., Senior Consulting Economist required. The oversight of my right-hand and since last year federal contractors are Mildred Warner, Ph.D., Cornell University person, Dr. Barbara Gault, IWPR’s Vice now explicitly forbidden from retaliating Institute for Women’s Policy Research President