Kobi
03-14-2012, 10:25 AM
The last few weeks have seen headline after headline proclaiming the “war on women” that’s taking place across the country, as lawmakers, politicians and pundits continue to bat around the age-old question of whether or not women are, in fact, people.
But it’s not all bad news for the women of America. Looking at key areas such as healthcare, wages and education, women’s website iVillage has collected data from myriad sources — including the National Women’s Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, the 2010 US Census and the National Network to End Domestic Violence — in order to accurately rank which states provide the most hospitable living conditions for the country’s women.
To see the top five states to live in if you’re a lady, read on.
Next: 1. Connecticut
After examining at the data, iVillage concluded that Connecticut was the best state in all the country for women to live in, something that surely doesn’t come as a surprise to the 1.8 million females who reside there. In terms of healthcare, wages and education, Connecticut’s female denizens are doing quite well. A whopping 90% of women have health insurance, the median female salary is $46,000 and more than a third hold a four-year college degree.
Next: 2. Hawaii
Color us shocked, right? After all, the state was recently ranked tops for well-being. Yet it’s not Hawaii’s sun, sand and reputation for a laid-back attitude that makes the state so great for women to live in — though we’re sure that helps — but many of Hawaii’s women have made progress on breaking through the professional glass ceiling, with nearly a third of all business owners being female. And women are also well-represented in the political arena; the state’s two congressional seats are held by women (Colleen Hanabusa and Mazie Hirono) and more than a third of the state legislature is female.
Next: 3. Maryland
This one might actually come as a surprise to some, but it seems that Maryland living is pretty great for women. The female citizens of the Old Line State earn a median income of $47,175 and more than a third hold college degrees. However, while the women of Maryland have the wealthy and wise angles covered, they fall short of a trifecta on the health front: more than 60% of women there are overweight.
Next: 4. Massachusetts
Though the ladies in Maryland might have been lacking in healthcare, the women of Massachusetts certainly make up for it. Thanks to state requirements, 96% of women have health coverage. While healthcare is beneficial for everyone, for women this blanket coverage helps to ensure that each year, 85% of women are screened for breast and cervical cancer. Women in the Bay State are for the most part making comfortable salaries, with a median at $46,213. Not so great, however, is the plight of the working mother in Massachusetts: childcare there is the most expensive in the U.S., costing $16,500 annually.
Next: 5. California
California hits it out of the park when it comes to taking care of women’s reproductive health and rights. It’s the highest ranking state according to NARAL Pro-Choice America for access to contraception and abortion services. Not only is the right to choose included in the California constitution, but other, smaller, measures have been taken to ensure that women have control over reproduction. For instance, health insurers are required to cover contraception and emergency rooms must offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault — two requirements not mandated by other states. Yet despite its stellar record on women’s reproductive health, there is still a disappointing 22.4% of California females who lack health insurance.
Want to know how the rest of the country measures up? Head over to iVillage this week and next as they continue to countdown the female state of the nation.
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/14/the-5-best-u-s-states-for-women/#female-friendly-states#ixzz1p6mZWCjL
But it’s not all bad news for the women of America. Looking at key areas such as healthcare, wages and education, women’s website iVillage has collected data from myriad sources — including the National Women’s Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, the 2010 US Census and the National Network to End Domestic Violence — in order to accurately rank which states provide the most hospitable living conditions for the country’s women.
To see the top five states to live in if you’re a lady, read on.
Next: 1. Connecticut
After examining at the data, iVillage concluded that Connecticut was the best state in all the country for women to live in, something that surely doesn’t come as a surprise to the 1.8 million females who reside there. In terms of healthcare, wages and education, Connecticut’s female denizens are doing quite well. A whopping 90% of women have health insurance, the median female salary is $46,000 and more than a third hold a four-year college degree.
Next: 2. Hawaii
Color us shocked, right? After all, the state was recently ranked tops for well-being. Yet it’s not Hawaii’s sun, sand and reputation for a laid-back attitude that makes the state so great for women to live in — though we’re sure that helps — but many of Hawaii’s women have made progress on breaking through the professional glass ceiling, with nearly a third of all business owners being female. And women are also well-represented in the political arena; the state’s two congressional seats are held by women (Colleen Hanabusa and Mazie Hirono) and more than a third of the state legislature is female.
Next: 3. Maryland
This one might actually come as a surprise to some, but it seems that Maryland living is pretty great for women. The female citizens of the Old Line State earn a median income of $47,175 and more than a third hold college degrees. However, while the women of Maryland have the wealthy and wise angles covered, they fall short of a trifecta on the health front: more than 60% of women there are overweight.
Next: 4. Massachusetts
Though the ladies in Maryland might have been lacking in healthcare, the women of Massachusetts certainly make up for it. Thanks to state requirements, 96% of women have health coverage. While healthcare is beneficial for everyone, for women this blanket coverage helps to ensure that each year, 85% of women are screened for breast and cervical cancer. Women in the Bay State are for the most part making comfortable salaries, with a median at $46,213. Not so great, however, is the plight of the working mother in Massachusetts: childcare there is the most expensive in the U.S., costing $16,500 annually.
Next: 5. California
California hits it out of the park when it comes to taking care of women’s reproductive health and rights. It’s the highest ranking state according to NARAL Pro-Choice America for access to contraception and abortion services. Not only is the right to choose included in the California constitution, but other, smaller, measures have been taken to ensure that women have control over reproduction. For instance, health insurers are required to cover contraception and emergency rooms must offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault — two requirements not mandated by other states. Yet despite its stellar record on women’s reproductive health, there is still a disappointing 22.4% of California females who lack health insurance.
Want to know how the rest of the country measures up? Head over to iVillage this week and next as they continue to countdown the female state of the nation.
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/14/the-5-best-u-s-states-for-women/#female-friendly-states#ixzz1p6mZWCjL