Although women represent more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, gender inequality persists across social, economic, and political sectors. WalletHub, a personal finance company, has recently released a new report analyzing the best states for women’s equality based on several key indicators related to income, socioeconomic status, employment, education, health, and political representation.
With a score of 100 reflecting gender equality, the top five states where women receive the most equal treatment are Hawaii (72.49), Nevada (70.54), Maryland (69.91), Maine (68.84), and Oregon (68.17). Standing out as the worst state for women’s equality is Utah, with a score of just 29.93. Following Utah with the overall lowest scores were Texas (41.89), Idaho (41.96), Arkansas (46.36), and Louisiana (46.66).
Within specific sectors, the top state for women’s workplace equality was California, which has the smallest income gap between men and women. Oregon and Vermont were the next best states for women’s workplace equality, while the worst states were Utah, Louisiana, and Alabama. For education and health, the states with the best treatment for women Connecticut, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Again, Utah scored the lowest in this area, followed by Texas and Idaho.
For political empowerment, Hawaii tops the list of best states for women’s equality, where there is an equal share of men and women serving as members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Alaska and Maine are the next best states for women’s political empowerment, while Missouri, Arkansas, and Idaho are the worst.
“Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “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.”