The Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University has recently released the results of a study aimed at understanding the perceptions of challenges facing women and girls throughout the state.
In fall 2024, scholars at Utah State University surveyed 2,248 Utah men and women who were presented with one open-ended question regarding their thoughts, insights, and ideas they may have related to the challenges experienced by Utah women and girls. The most commonly reported concerns regarded gender discrimination and sexism in the workplace, with over 29 percent of participants stating women frequently encounter issues such as pay disparities and a lack of employer support. Nearly a quarter of respondents said women often experience general gender bias and discrimination both within and outside of the workplace.
Another common theme among the participants’ responses centered around the influence of religion and the patriarchy, with almost one-fifth reporting that women have been discriminated against because of Utah’s religious culture and governmental policies. Similarly, one-fifth of respondents stated that women feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles or physical appearance expectations.
A prior study by the Utah Women & Leadership Project identified several concerns facing women entering postsecondary education. Aligned with those findings, the recent study found that over 10 percent of participants stated women experience discrimination regarding their pursuit of higher education or nontraditional career goals, such as those in historically male-dominated STEM fields or the trades.
Nearly one-tenth of respondents expressed concern for the high levels of sexual harassment and violence facing Utah women and girls, with many stating there is need for additional resources on prevention and information about sexual abuse. Another 9 percent mentioned that women in the state of Utah have limited access to health care and frequently experience discrimination when seeking medical care.
While 6 percent of respondents pointed out concerns with a lack of women in Utah leadership and politics, 5.8 percent stated gender equality is not an issue or has improved in recent years. Just over 4 percent of all participants’ responses mentioned that men and women should be treated equally, with some feeling this was already the case.
“Utah must do better to ensure everyone thrives,” the authors write. “As Utah decision makers and residents join to find ways to strengthen the impact of girls and women more effectively, more Utah women and families will feel connected to [Utah’s] well-known mantra: ‘This Is the Place.’ And, in fact, when more women can feel like ‘This is Her Place,’ too, we will know Utah is finally becoming a place where women are truly valued.”