JUNE 2010 STATUS OF WOMEN & GIRLS IN MINNESOTA Research Overview Research & writing by the University of MN Humphrey Institute’s Center on Women & Public Policy, in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. 1 Acknowledgements Women’s Foundation of Minnesota & the University of MN Humphrey Institute’s Center on Women & Public Policy A strong partnership is the foundation of Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota At the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Lee Roper-Batker, president & CEO, and we acknowledge the important contributions of the following people. and Mary Beth Hanson, communications director, helped shape and edit the Debra Fitzpatrick, director of the Center on Women & Public Policy, collected the report’s content through production and to final publication. data, produced new research, and wrote the full report and Research Overview. We thank the following community partners for their participation in the working groups: ECONOMIC JUSTICE Working Group Suzanne Elwell | Director, Crime Victim Erin Ceynar | Director of Corporate Spon- April Shaw | Constituent Services Cecilia Alvarez | Consultant, West Central Justice Unit, MN Office of Justice sorships & Events, Women’s Foundation Representative, Office of Congresswoman Regional Sustainable Development Programs of Minnesota Betty McCollum Partnership, University of MN Kathy Fennelly | Professor, Humphrey Xiaoying Chen | Asian American Health Bethany Snyder | Field Director, Office of Sara Benzkofer | Committee Administrator, Institute of Public Affairs, University of MN Coordinator, MN Department of Health Congressman Senator Al Franken MN House of Representatives’ Early Carla Ferrucci | Executive Director, Archelle Georgiou, M.D. | Board of Lorraine Teel | Executive Director, Childhood Policy & Finance Committee MN Association for Justice Directors, Society for Women’s Health Minnesota AIDS Project Amy Brenengen* | Director, Office on the Candice Harshner | Executive Director, Pro- Research; Georgiou Consulting, LLC POWER & LEADERSHIP Working Group Economic Status of Women gram for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault Amy Godecker | Epidemiologist, City of Mary Angela Baker | Director, Center Jennifer Godinez | Associate Director, Mary Beth Hanson | Communications Minneapolis for Continuing Education & Leadership MN Minority Education Partnership, Inc. Director, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Kelli Johnson | Project Director, Health Institute, St. Catherine’s University Joanne Green | Assistant Finance Director, Suzanne Koepplinger* | Executive Director, Policy & Management, University of MN Joyce Bono, Ph.D. | Associate Professor, Surgical Administrative Center, MN Indian Women’s Resource Center Vinodh Kutty | Coordinator, Hennepin Carlson School of Management, University of MN County Office of Multicultural Services Katy Lehmann | MN Senate, Office of University of MN Maria Hanratty | Associate Professor, Sen. Sandy Pappas June LaValleur | Associate Professor, Keesha Gaskins | Executive Director, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Rep. Erin Murphy | MN House of League of Women Voters Minneapolis University of MN Representatives Women’s Health, University of MN Joan Growe* | Advisory Committee Jennifer Keil | Associate Professor, Karen Law | Executive Director, Pro-Choice Susan Segal | City Attorney, City of Member, Humphrey Institute of Public Hamline University School of Business Resources Minneapolis Affairs, University of MN Liz Kuoppala* | Executive Director, Mary Jo O’Brien | Midwest Program Cheryl Thomas* | Director of Women’s Trista Harris* | Executive Director, MN Coalition for the Homeless Development Regional Team Leader, Human Rights, The Advocates for Human Headwaters Foundation for Justice Deborah Levison | Professor, Rights Nurse-Family Partnership Duchess Harris* | Associate Professor of Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Diane O’Connor* | Administrative Director, Natalie Volin | Political Director, Office of American Studies, Macalester College Trout Lowen | Editor, Minnesota Journal, Congressman Al Franken University of MN Deborah Powell Center Pham Thi Hoa, Executive Director, CAPI MN Citizen’s League for Women’s Health Kate Weeks | Research Consultant - DFL under Power and Leadership Anita Patel | Director of Racial Justice & Caucus, MN House of Representatives Kate Perushek | Committee Administrator, Liz Johnson* | Midwest Regional Director, Public Policy, YWCA of Minneapolis MN House Healthcare & Human Services Terry Williams | Director of External The White House Project Lee Roper-Batker | President & CEO, Affairs, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Melanie Peterson-Hickey* | Senior Sheila Kiscaden | Interim Director, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Research Scientist, MN Dept. of Health’s Libby Wyrum | Committee Legislative Center for Health Statistics Rochester Area Foundation Rep. Nora Slawik | MN House of Assistant, MN House of Representatives’ Representatives Public Safety Finance Committee Barbara Porter | Asst. Dean of Student Nicole LaVoi | Associate Director, Affairs, Mayo Medical School Tucker Center Sen. Patricia Torres Ray | MN Senate Honorable Lloyd Zimmerman | Judge, Michael Resnick, Ph.D. | Director, Healthy Rep. Tina Liebling | MN House of Rachel Vilsack | Regional Labor Market Hennepin County District Court Youth Development Prevention Research Representatives Analyst, MN Dept. of Employment & HEALTH & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS Center, Division of Adolescent Health Economic Development Becky Lourey | Co-Founder, Board Chair Working Group & Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and COO, Nemadji Research Corp. SAFETY & SECURITY Working Group Laura Blubaugh | Committee Administra- University of MN Sida Ly-Xiong | Consultant Marna Anderson | Executive Director, tor, MN Senate Health, Housing & Family Sheila Riggs | Chair, Primary Dental Care, Deborah White, Ph.D. | Dept. Chair & WATCH MN Security Committee University of MN Professor, Dept. of Sociology & Criminal Katie Burns | Health Reform Director, Danette Buskovick* | Director, Brigid Riley* | Executive Director, MN Justice, and Director, Tri-College NEW MN Department of Health Statistical Analysis Center, MN Office Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy Leadership Development Institute, of Justice Programs Rachel Callanan | Senior Advocacy Prevention & Parenting MN State University Moorhead Director, American Heart Association-MN Margaret Chutich* | Assistant Dean, * Peer Reviewer of Report Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of MN We thank the following individuals for providing their expertise to the production of this report: Ali Anfinson, results measurement director, MN Dept. of Education; Suzie Brown, scientist, MN Population Center; Michael Resnick, PhD, director, Healthy Youth Devel- executive director, Child Care WORKS; Cyndi Cook, executive director, MN Coalition opment Prevention Research Center, University of MN; Glynis Shea, communications for Battered Women; Dave Cram Helwich, director of debate, MN Debate Team, director, Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health, University of MN; University of MN; Miriam King, research assoc., and Trent Alexander, research and Terry Williams, director of external affairs, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. We thank The Minneapolis Foundation for providing funding toward this research. 2 STATUS OF WOMEN & GIRLS IN MINNESOTA Research Overview THE NEW DECADE WAS USHERED care, higher quality childcare, or even a in by several headlines exclaiming that family vacation. women’s economic, political and social Safety & Security: Minnesotans have equality had largely been achieved. Case- settled for a “D” in safety, with one in in-point, the Shriver Report (2009): “The three of our daughters, mothers and sisters Battle of the Sexes is over. It was a draw.” surviving sexual or physical violence by And in January 2010, the Economist mid-life. This preventable human tragedy magazine concluded that in a “quiet deprives Minnesota women and girls The project represents a unique revolution,” women in rich countries are their basic human right to safety and has approach to research by using a gender- taking over the workforce. devastating affects on their lives, futures, race-place-equity lens. Over 100 experts These headlines gloss over gross gender families and communities. from academia, state and federal govern- bias and unfairness that continues to Health: Compared to the nation, ment, nonprofit and private sectors, produce the wage gap, land more women Minnesota is relatively healthy. However, elected bodies and philanthropy partici- in poverty than men, result in systemic when you dig deeper, the disparities in pated in working groups and reviewed violence for women and girls, substandard the wellness gap are startling — disparate data on women and girls in Minnesota health outcomes for all, and a lack of and unequal. Addressing this gap with to identify the key issues outlined in women in leadership across all sectors. high-quality, affordable healthcare ben- this report, and proffer solutions Since gaining the right to vote in efits for all Minnesotans is the remedy. (see Acknowledgements). 1920, women have made great strides Power & Leadership: Women remain The data reviewed and included here toward equality. However, it is important underrepresented in the Minnesota state comes from published reports produced to remember that the journey toward full house, courthouse and boardroom. Our by government agencies and nonprofits, equality for all women and girls is still