Empowering Women in the Workplace: A Call for Equality
Workplace equality for women in the United States remains a critical issue, deeply intertwined with the broader struggle for social justice. Despite significant strides in legislation and corporate policies since the passage of the 19th Amendment, gender disparities persist, particularly in terms of pay gaps, limited access to leadership roles, and workplace harassment.
Achieving true workplace equality requires addressing these systemic issues and fostering an environment where diverse voices are valued and empowered. This means implementing inclusive policies, encouraging mentorship, and creating pathways for advancement that are accessible to all women.
Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights. States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics.
Cassandra Happe, an analyst at WalletHub
In 2024, the U.S. ranked 43rd among 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s gender equality ranking.
According to the study, the top five states for women’s equality are:
- Hawaii
- California
- Minnesota
- Maine
- New Mexico
According to World Bank data, women comprise only 27% of the world’s legislators and 9% of S&P 500 CEOs while making up around half the population.
Where does Texas stand?
Personal finance company WalletHub compared 50 states across 17 gender equality indicators, ranging from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity in unemployment rates for women and men. It also included three key dimensions:
1. workplace environment
2. education and health
3. political empowerment
What it found can be concerning news for Texas — out of all states, Texas ranks 49 in the report titled “2024 Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality.” This highlights the disparities in gender equality in the state.
The study says Texas lags on several fronts:
- Workplace environment: rank 23
- Education and health: rank 49
- Political empowerment: rank 40
- Earnings Gap: rank 21
- Work Hours Gap: rank 22
- Executive Positions Gap: rank 32
- Entrepreneurship Rate Gap: rank 21
“Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights. 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.” said Cassandra Happe, an analyst at WalletHub.
In another study, by Chamberofcommerce.org, Frisco, McKinney, and Plano in Texas were found to have some of the largest gender pay gaps in the country. In Frisco, women earn 56% of what men earn. The disparity in pay gap amounts to $52,216, increasing by $12,357 since 2023.
The demographic of women plays a critical role in Texas’ economy, holding nearly half of the state’s 12.4 million jobs and creating jobs through entrepreneurial efforts.
Race and ethnicity also determine if a woman in Texas will live in poverty in her lifetime.
- About one in five Black and Brown women have incomes below the poverty line, which is more than twice the poverty rate of white women,
- Around 90% of professional caregivers are women and are disproportionately Black, Latina, and Asian immigrant women. The job accompanies low wages, and 20% of caregivers in the country live in poverty, and
- While Latinas and Black women in Texas contribute significantly toward women’s advancement in educational attainment over men and “have historically outpaced their male counterparts,” only 17% and 28%, respectively, hold a bachelor’s or higher and lag behind other racial and ethnic groups.