        
Tweet

Email

Print
Share

Texas Among the Worst States for Women's Equality in the U.S., Study Says

By Sanford Nowlin

Lorie Shaull via Whole Women's Health

This isn't the kind of news we'd prefer to share with Women's Equality Day right around the corner — August 26 to be exact.

But, yet, here we are.

Texas ranks third from the bottom of the 50 states when it comes women's equality, according to a new WalletHub study. Maine, Hawaii and Nevada, in respective order, took the top three slots, while only Idaho and Utah lagged the Lone Star State.

The financial site came up with its list by comparing states on 17 key metrics ranging from the percentage of female business execs to the educational attainment gap between men and women.

While Texas ranked near the middle (29th) when it came to workplace-related factors, it had piss-poor showings in categories related to health and education (46th) and political representation (46th).

Those findings shouldn't come in surprising to anyone familiar with the Lone Star State's legislative record on women's health — from lawmakers' repeated efforts to shut abortion clinics to their support of bills that disregard women's right to make informed health decisions.

As WalletHub's study points out, reversing course on equality issues is difficult in states where women haven't yet made significant political inroads. Women comprise 23.8% of the Texas Legislature, for example, making it one of just 17 states where women don't control a quarter or more of the votes in state lawmaking bodies.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.

Tags: women's equality, Texas, women's rights, women's health, Texas legislature, abortion clinics, Texas Legislature, WalletHub

Support Local Journalism.
Join the San Antonio Current Press Club

Local journalism is information. Information is power. And we believe everyone deserves access to accurate independent coverage of their community and state. Our readers helped us continue this coverage in 2020, and we are so grateful for the support.

Help us keep this coverage going in 2021. Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing membership pledge, your support goes to local-based reporting from our small but mighty team.

Join the San Antonio Press Club for as little as $5 a month.