DES MOINES, IOWA — A recent report released by the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) examines how women are faring across the country. In Iowa, the ‘State of Women’ report gave a C+ grade overall, with a D+ in economic security, an F in leadership, and an A- in health.
The CAPAF report comes on the heels of two other studies showing economic instability in Iowa and a ‘dismally low’ rate of growth of women-owned businesses in our state compared with the rest of the country.
The recent “report is the latest example of Governor Branstad’s failed leadership for Iowa’s women and working families,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “The Governor continues to ignore the reality of everyday Iowans and Iowa women who are being left behind by his policies that focus only the wealthiest among us. Iowa women make 78 cents for every dollar a man makes, and women-owned businesses in our state are growing at a snail’s pace. Those are just a few of the alarming economic realities that Governor Branstad’s policies have only made worse.”
To read the full report, ‘The State of Women in America: A 50-State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation’, click here.
Among the report’s findings:
- Women in Iowa make 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. This places Iowa as the state with the 21st-largest wage gap in the nation. The statistics are even worse for women of color: Hispanic women in Iowa make only 58 cents for every dollar a white male makes.
- Iowa does not have a policy providing for paid family, medical, or temporary disability leave. This leaves women—and men—without the security of knowing their job will be there if they need to take time off to care for family or medical issues.
- Almost 67 percent of the managerial jobs in Iowa are held by men. Women hold only 33.3 percent of the managerial jobs in Iowa, despite making up 51 percent of the state’s population.
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Background:
Iowa Fact Sheet:
http://www.americanprogress.
Report: Iowa far behind in growth of women-owned businesses
http://www.businessrecord.com/
‘State of Working Iowa’ finds less security, more inequality
http://thegazette.com/2013/08/
Explore the date from the report (breakdown of each category):
http://www.americanprogress.
I’ll just bet that no one ever considered what types of jobs are out there and that possibly, just possibly most women have no interest in becoming managers. Most of them are just concerned with raising their family’s and do not want or need the added stress of being a manager. Anyone who believes anything this left wing, communist organisation says is stupid.
Get rid of all the government programs, obamacare, 90% of government regulations and cut income tax and you would see pay and job rise for both women and men. This lefty group would go away.
The reality is that women and men have different roles in society. Put the responsibility of feeding the family onto the backs of men.
I would agree with you that that is how the wage gap started. When women began entering the workforce in the 60’s is was to get the extra’s. Nicer house, better vacations, ect. So equal pay wasn’t that big a deal. There were jobs all over the place where men could go to work and easily support their families. Unfortunately that hasn’t been true for the past 20 years. Men’s incomes haven’t kept up with costs of livings so now a woman has to work just to keep the family afloat. Woman doing the same job as men should get the same pay. If 50% of your workforce is woman it should stand to reason that 50% of management should be woman. Woman are not second class citizens. Most of the ones I have worked with over the years have been very hard working, they have all been picked on, and over looked because of their gender a.
The so called wage gap is a crock. Wouldn’t have anything to do with women leaving their jobs to have children now would it?
No, it must be some kind of evil oppressive plot.
There is nothing new here. Iowa compares with other states and is not a villain on this issue. What is more telling is that Matt Sinovic, of Progress Iowa quotes from a study done by the far-left Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) and uses it in an attempt to denigrate Iowa’s administration – again in search of an issue.
CAPAF’s web site is filled with all sorts for far-left oriented issues from unions to climate change. They would have you believe that the decline in union membership is directly related to declining middle class incomes. They fail to consider that illegal immigrants erode the employment base forcing all wages to decline because employers don’t have to compete with each other across the board. Further, unions in general have been exposed as politically oriented organizations with agendas outside of the interests of their membership.
I find it amusing that the report states that only 33.3% of the managerial jobs are held by women. Does that mean to imply that we should promote women so that they hold 50% of the managerial jobs? In other words, promote them because they are women just so we can meet quota equality? Similar to the black firefighter who was promoted over 9 white firefighters who were ahead of him on the list of qualified applicants due to the fact he was black and even tho he was not the best qualified?