THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE SOUTH About This Report Board of Directors The Status of Women in the South builds on IWPR’s long-standing analyses and reports, The Status of Women in the States, that have provided data on the Holly Fechner, Chair status of women nationally and for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia Covington & Burling LLP since 1996. The Status of Women in the South uses data from U.S. government Lorretta Johnson, Vice Chair and other sources to analyze women’s status in the southern United States, American Federation of Teachers; AFL-CIO including Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Florida Georgia, Ken- tucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Susan Meade, Secretary Virginia, and West Virginia. States are ranked and graded on a set of indicators Phillips Oppenheim for six topical areas and, whenever possible, data is disaggregated by race and ethnicity to allow closer examination of the status of women of color in Sylphiel Yip, Treasurer the South. Like all Status of Women in the States reports, The Status of Women INTL FCStone Partners L.P. in the South can be used to highlight women’s progress and the obstacles William Baer they continue to face and to encourage policy and programmatic changes Bloomingdale’s that can improve women’s opportunities. This report is funded by the Ford Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Women’s Funding Martha Darling Network. Additional funding was provided by a variety of state and national Boeing (retired) partners. With advice and guidance from the Status of Women in the South Advisory Committee, this report has been informed by The Status of Women Ellen Delany in the States: 2015, which also benefited from the expertise of its National Delany, Siegel, Zorn & Associates, Inc. Advisory Committee. Cindy Estrada United Automobile Workers International Union Lynn Gitlitz Consultant, Business Development David A. Goslin Former CEO, American Institutes for Research About This Report Ellen Karp The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research Anerca International Inc. and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. The Kai-yan Lee Institute’s research strives to give voice to the needs of women from diverse Vanke ethnic and racial backgrounds across the income spectrum and to ensure Cynthia Lloyd that their perspectives enter the public debate on ending discrimination Consultant, Population Council and inequality, improving opportunity, and increasing economic security for women and families. The Institute works with policymakers, scholars, and William Rodgers public interest groups to design, execute, and disseminate research and to Rutgers University build a diverse network of individuals and organizations that conduct and use womenoriented policy research. IWPR’s work is supported by foundation Sheila Wellington grants, government grants and contracts, donations from individuals, Professor Emeritus, NYU/Stern School of and contributions from organizations and corporations. IWPR is a 501(c) Business (3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women’s Marcia Worthing studies and public policy and public administration programs at The George New York, NY Washington University. Cathy Zoi CEO SunEdison’s Rural Power Company Leslie Platt Zolov Pfizer Institute for Women’s Policy Research 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301 | Washington, DC 20036 Heidi Hartmann, President 202.785.5100 | [email protected] Institute for Women’s Policy Research www.iwpr.org Barbara Gault, Vice President www.statusofwomendata.org Institute for Women’s Policy Research IWPR #R462 © Copyright February 2016 by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research The Status of Women in the South Julie Anderson, M.A., Elyse Shaw, M.A., Chandra Childers, Ph.D., Jessica Milli, Ph.D., and Asha DuMonthier With support from Ford Foundation |American Federation of Teachers| Women’s Funding Network The Annie E. Casey Foundation | NoVo Foundation National Air Traffic Controllers Association | National Organization for Women OWL: The Voice of Women 40+ Covington & Burling LLP | Martha Darling and Gilbert Omenn | Sunrise Foundation United Automobile Workers International Union Florida Women’s Funding Alliance | Women’s Funding Alliance (Washington) New York Women’s Foundation | Women’s Foundation of Colorado Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania | Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Fund, for Women and Girls (Connecticut) The Women’s Fund, a special initiative of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities (Pennsylvania) Women’s Foundation of Montana | Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region (Wisconsin) i ii iv Status of Women in the States Southern Advisory Committee Dr. Chisara Asomugha Ms. Deon Haywood Dr. Michelle Owens Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Women with a Vision University of Mississippi Medical Services Center Dr. Joni Hersch Mr. Marc Bayard Vanderbilt University Ms. Monica Rainge Institute for Policy Studies Federation of Southern Cooperatives Ms. Jeanne Jackson and Land Assistance Fund Dr. Josephine Beoku-Betts Women’s Fund of Greater Florida Atlantic University Birmingham Ms. Fran Ricardo Rural Women’s Health Project Ms. Ruby Bright Ms. Carol Joyner Women’s Foundation for a Greater Labor Project for Working Families Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron Memphis YWCA-USA Dr. Christopher King Ms. Carol Burnett University of Texas at Austin Ms. Tara Romano Mississippi Low-Income Child Care North Carolina Women United Initiative Ms. Melinda Lawrence Moore Community House North Carolina Justice Center Dr. Linda Salane Consultant and Executive Coach Ms. Astrid Chirinos Dr. Janet Lawson Latin American Economic Texas Department of State Health Ms. Jeanne Smoot Development Corporation Services Tahirih Justice Center Ms. Kimberlé Crenshaw Mr. Tim Marema Ms. Gloria Terry UCLA and Columbia Schools of Law Center for Rural Strategies Texas Council on Family Violence African American Policy Forum Dr. Angie Maxwell Dr. Lynn Weber Ms. Oleta Fitzgerald University of Arkansas University of South Carolina Children’s Defense Fund, Southern Regional Office Ms. Sara Miller Ms. Gloria Williamson Southern Rural Black Women’s Mississippi Economic Policy Center Mississippi Commission on the Initiative for Economic and Social Status of Women Justice Mr. Minh Nguyen Vietnamese American Young Ms. Yvonne Wood Ms. Elizabeth Gedmark Leaders Association of New Orleans Tennessee Economic Council on A Better Balance, Southern Office Women Ms. Kim Nolte Ms. Althea Gonzalez Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Dr. Barbara Zsembik Grantmakers Concerned with Power and Potential University of Florida Immigrants and Refugees Dr. Mary Odem Dr. Carole Zugazaga Dr. Johnnie Griffin Emory University Auburn University Jackson State University Senator Nan Grogan Orrock Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall Georgia State Senator (District 36) Spelman College Women Legislator’s Lobby v Status of Women in the States National Advisory Committee Dr. Lee Badgett University of Massachusetts – Amherst Ms. Barbara Krumsiek Dr. Alina Salganicoff Williams Institute Georgetown University Women’s Kaiser Family Foundation Leadership Institute Ms. Julie Burton Dr. Matt Snipp Women’s Media Center Dr. TK Logan Stanford University University of Kentucky Dr. Susan Carroll Ms. Kiersten Stewart Rutgers University Ms. Aleyamma Mathew Futures without Violence Ms. Foundation for Women Ms. Wendy Chun-Hoon Dr. Gloria Thomas Family Values at Work Ms. Leticia Miranda University of Michigan Financial Engines Dr. Philip Cohen Mr. Steven Toledo University of Maryland Ms. Cynthia Nimmo National Latina Institute for Women’s Funding Network Reproductive Health Ms. Milly Hawk Daniel PolicyLink Ms. Simran Noor Ms. Carolyn Treiss Center for Social Inclusion Permanent Commission on the Status of Ms. Vanessa Daniel Women Groundswell Fund Ms. Karen Nussbaum Working America Dr. Malia Villegas Ms. Tamara Draut 9to5, National Association of Working National Congress of American Indians Demos Women Dr. Marilyn Watkins Mr. Shawn Fremstad Ms. Katie Orenstein Economic Opportunity Institute Center for Economic and Policy Research The Op-Ed Project Ms. Erica Williams Ms. Jocelyn Frye Ms. Michele Ozumba Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Center for American Progress Women’s Funding Network Dr. Valerie Wilson Ms. Fatima Goss Graves Ms. Carol Penick Economic Policy Institute National Women’s Law Center Women’s Foundation of Mississippi Ms. Miriam Yeung Dr. Joyce Jacobsen Ms. Ai-Jen Poo National Asian Pacific American Wesleyan University National Domestic Workers Alliance Women’s Forum Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron Ms. Teresa Younger Incite Unlimited, LLC YWCA-USA Ms. Foundation for Women Ms. Beth Kanter Ms. Valerie Rochester Spitfire Strategies Black Women’s Health Imperative Dr. Christopher King Ms. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner University of Texas at Austin Moms Rising vi Acknowledgments The Institute for Women’s Policy Research is grateful to the Research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. many advisors, supporters, partners, and staff who enabled Arkadi Gerney, Senior Fellow at the Center for American this first-ever regionally focused version of The Status of Progress, offered clarification about the overlap of federal Women in the States project. LaShawn Jefferson, Program and state laws restricting gun possession. Gilda M. Morales, Officer