Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Women's United States 2004



The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) has published its ranking of the states based on women's status in five areas (pdf file): political participation, employment and earnings, social and economic autonomy, reproductive rights and health and well-being.

The best overall state for women is Vermont, the worst is Mississippi. Other states that do well are Connecticut, Minnesota, Washington and Oregon. States that do poorly include South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Florida. But Mississippi is really the hands-down winner of the state where it is pretty crummy to be a woman.

Is it a coincidence that the states that ranked high tended to vote for Kerry and that those which ranked low voted for Bush? Or maybe things like women's status are one of those elite issues that have nothing to do with moral values? Or maybe a low status for women indicates high moral values?




(Map from here)