A new state-by-state analysis released today by the Center for American Progress gives Florida a “C” and ranks the state 26th in the nation on issues on economics, leadership, and health for women.
The report, “The State of Women in America,” uses 36 different economic security, leadership, and health factors to measure the disparities between states and rank the best and worst states for women.
Across these 36 indicators, which include the overall wage gap, paid sick leave policies, congressional seats held by women, and policies to restrict women’s access to reproductive health, Florida received a “C” and ranks 26th in the nation.
Florida received an “A-” and ranks ninth in the nation based on the economic factors analyzed:
- Women in Florida make 84 cents for every dollar a man makes. This means Florida has the fourth-smallest wage gap in the nation. The statistics are worse forwomen of color: Hispanic women in Florida make only 60 cents for every dollar a white male makes.
- More than 18 percent of women live in poverty. This places Florida 16th worst in the nation on poverty rates for women. The statistics are even worse forwomen of color: 30.3 percent of African American women in Florida live in poverty.
- Florida 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.
On the leadership factors examined in the report, Florida ranks 19th in the Nation and received a “B-”:
- Only 20 percent of Florida’s state elected executive offices are held by women. Florida ranks 23rd in the nation on female elected officials in state elected executive office.
- More than 61 percent of the managerial jobs in Florida are held by men. Women hold only 38.7 percent of the managerial jobs in Florida, despite making up 52 percent of the state’s population.
Florida also received an “F” on the health factors examined in the report and ranks 46th in the nation:
- 23 percent of women in Florida are uninsured. Despite the number of uninsured women in Florida, Florida refuses to expand Medicaid, which could provide insurance for 613,000 women.
- Floridians have difficulty accessing health care: There is one OB-GYN for every 11,824 women in the state.
- Florida places unconstitutional restrictions/conditions on a woman’s access to reproductive health care. Florida forces women seeking an abortion to undergo a medically unnecessary ultrasound. This law is aimed at intimidating women who are seeking abortions and also opens the doors for some clinics to force women to undergo an even more invasive transvaginal ultrasound.
- Florida ranks 38th in the nation on maternal mortality rate. In Florida, there are 14.8 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
“While women have come a long way over the past few decades, much remains to be done to ensure that all women can have a fair shot at success,” said Anna Chu, one of the authors of the report. “Today’s report shows that in many states, it is still difficult for women and their families to get ahead, instead of just getting by.”
Last week, the Center for American Progress, working with American Women, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and the Service Employees International Union, launched the “Fair Shot” campaign. The major new initiative is aimed at elevating the public policies that can address the issues laid out in the “State of Women” report. Learn more about the Fair Shot campaign here.
