Arizona Top State For Women’s Equality, according to New Study

Arizona ranks in the top 5 of states for Women’s Equality, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub. The study compared all 50 states across three key dimensions: Workplace Environment; Education & Health; and Political Empowerment.

Arizona also ranked in the top five for the “Smallest Political Representation Gap” and “Smallest Work Hours Gap” subcategories, and was listed in the top 10 for “Workplace Environment Rank.”

“Throughout our history, Arizona has been a leader in the fight for women’s equality, including becoming one of the first states to expand voting to women” said Governor Ducey. “We’ve got more work to do, and Arizona will continue to focus on policies that expand opportunity for all.”

While racial inequality has been in the spotlight during 2020, it’s important to make sure we don’t overlook gender inequality. Women’s rights in the U.S. have made leaps and bounds since the passage of the 19th Amendment, yet many women still struggle to break the glass ceiling because of unequal treatment in society. Unfortunately, the gender gap in 21st century America has only expanded. In 2020, the U.S. failed to place in the top 10 — or even the top 50 — of the World Economic Forum’s ranking of 153 countries based on gender equality. In fact, the U.S. dropped to 53rd position from its previous rank of 51st.

The workplace provides even more evidence of the issue. Despite their advances toward social equality, women are disproportionately underrepresented in leadership positions. Women make up more than 50 percent of the population, but constitute only around 24 percent of legislators and 25 percent of Fortune 500 board seats.

This year, women also face inequality when it comes to unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women have been laid off at a greater rate than men, and are also getting re-employed more slowly. In addition, the share of the workforce that is female is now at its lowest point since 2008.

To determine where women receive the most equal treatment, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 17 key indicators of gender equality. Our data set ranges from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity in unemployment rates for women and men. Read on for our findings, expert commentary and a full description of our methodology.