Utah is the worst state for women’s equality, according to a report from WalletHub. This is the fifth year in a row that the state has ranked last in WalletHub’s annual analysis.
The report also included the following categories: income gap, executive positions gap, work hours gap, educational attainment gap and political representation gap. Utah ranked last in all categories except political representation.
Why is Utah ranked last in women’s equality?
Last year, Utah State University professor Susan Madsen released a white paper addressing women’s equality in Utah. In it, Madsen outlines 2021 statistics that contributed to Utah’s low ranking:
- Women earned 25.5% less than men.
- 18.9% of men earned $100,000 or more, while 5.9% of women earned $100,000 or more.
- Executive positions were held by 0.8% of working women, in comparison to 2.1% of working men in executive positions.
- Men owned 60.3% of businesses, while women owned 15.6% of businesses.
- 10.6% of non-elderly women lived on or below the poverty line, compared to 8.3% of non-elderly men.
How can we improve women’s equality in Utah?
In her white paper, Madsen outlined recommendations to improve women’s equality in Utah. They include:
- Increase the amount of women making $100,000 by 3,700.
- Add an additional 780 women to executive positions.
- Increase women-owned businesses by 1,000.
- Incorporate flexible, family-friendly policies to support female employees.
- Improve economic security for women.
- Increase the amount of women receiving graduate degrees.
Madsen spoke to the Deseret News last year about the advantages of women in the workplace — especially in politics. “Having more women in positions where they shape public policy could lead to improvements in many areas,” Madsen explained.
Resources for women in Utah
If you’re a woman in need of some support, here are some organizations actively supporting women in Utah.
- National Association of Women Business Owners.
- Utah Women in Higher Education.
- Gender Based Violence Consortium.
- Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.
- Women Entrepreneurs LIFT.
- Project Elect.
- Utah Women and Politics.
- Utah Women Leading Government.
- 100 Women in Finance.
- Latinas in Tech Utah.
- The National Association of Women in Construction.