Los Angeles, CA, March 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mount Saint Mary’s University, the only women’s university in Los Angeles and a nationally recognized institution for diversity and gender equity research, released this year’s The Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™ during a sold-out public event at the Skirball Cultural Center today.
This marks the 12th edition of the Report, which is published annually by the Center for Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s. This year’s Report, “Advancing Equity: Leading With Meaning and Purpose,” shines a light on a wide range of issues, from educational attainment and occupational disparities to earnings and wealth gaps, health and wellness, and work-life balance. Key findings are included below, and the full Report is now available online.
“We produce the Report each year to create a platform for discussion, to examine the progress women have made in our state, and to explore the challenges and opportunities still ahead of us,” said Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD, president of Mount Saint Mary’s and a recognized thought leader for gender equity. “By working together, we believe we can find solutions to advance gender equity.”
Today’s release event featured prominent Los Angeles-area women leaders who discussed the latest data on how women are faring and shared actionable insight toward reaching gender equality in our city and state. Speakers included: Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Maria S. Salinas, incoming CEO of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Va Lecia Adams Kellum and executive director of the CA Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Holly Martinez.
“The work we did creating the California Blueprint for Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery highlights how critical it is that gender parity be considered as a substantive element of the health of the state’s overall workforce and capacity for economic growth,” said Martinez.
2023 Report’s key findings:
- Earnings are up…more so for some women than others. Median earnings of California women working full time increased 14% from 2019 to 2021. Earnings for women working part-time rose 9%. Those earnings, however, vary substantially by ethnicity: Median earnings for white women working fulltime in 2021 equaled $73,059; Latinas earned $40,524.
- Nationally, the estimated median wealth of White men is $83,440. That drops to $66,930 for White women and drops to $6,700 and $6,000 for Latina and Black women, respectively.
- Overall, 9% of California’s family households experience poverty. But for households headed by women, with no spouse present, the poverty rate more than doubles to 21%. (And it is 29% for women-headed households with children.)
- The flexibility to work remotely continues. In 2019, 1 in 14 women worked from home. In 2021, 1 in 3 worked remotely.
- Despite more people working from home, housework and childcare remain the mother’s domain. Even among families where the mother is employed, 77% say they have the responsibility for housework and 61% say they have the responsibility for childcare.
Read the Report in full online. For interview opportunities related to this year’s Report, please contact Eva Diaz at 424.901.9211 or at emdiaz@msmu.edu.
ABOUT MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles and one of the most diverse in the nation. The University is known nationally for its research on gender equality, its innovative health and science programs, and its commitment to community service. As a leading liberal arts institution, Mount Saint Mary’s provides year-round, flexible, and online programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Weekend, evening, and graduate programs are offered to all genders. Mount alums are engaged and active global citizens who use their knowledge and skills to better themselves, their communities, and the world. MSMU.EDU
