It’s Good to Be a Woman in New York, Here’s Why
A new study claims women have it way easier if they live in the Empire State.
Today, August 26, is Women's Equality Day. To celebrate the holiday, a new national survey compared how women are treated across America and ranked states from best to worst.
And while America as a whole has a long way to go before catching up with the rest of the developed world -- the nation ranked 43rd best -- New York fared surprisingly well in this new roundup.
Gender equality in the Empire State
A new survey from WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine where women are most equal.
The study looked into the differences between men and women using 17 key metrics, such as wages and education, to finalize its list.
In all, New York placed in the top 10 and finished in eighth place overall.
New York's strongest category was in education and health, which was ninth best overall.
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Delving further into the data, the Empire State had the smallest educational attainment gap among advanced degree holders. There was also no gender gap in the unemployment rate, meaning both men and women were equally disadvantaged.
The same could technically be said for the minimum wage workers gap, with New York having the sixth smallest gender gap.
Other findings
While the state did have some areas in need of improvement, overall New York had some of the smallest gender gaps in across all categories.
For example, it boasted having the eighth smallest gap when it came to hours worked between men and women - and the 11th smallest gender gap when it came to gender representation in politics.
But not everything was sunshine and good times. In fact, male executives far outnumbered female execs in New York, with the state coming in dead last in the executive positions gap race.
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Overall, the Empire State had the 21st best workplace environment for women out of all 50 states. It also secured the same placing when it came to the earnings gap between male and female workers.
Why do we need Women's Equality Day
Today, August 26, celebrates the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment, which was adopted in 1920, prohibits states on a federal level from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex.
This December would mark the 100th anniversary since the first version of the ERA was introduced in Congress.
The holiday was proclaimed by then-President Richard Nixon in 1972, which was approved by Congress a year later.
The day has since evolved to also center on the Equal Rights Amendment, which is still being debated on Capitol Hill. The proposed amendment would guarantee equal legal rights for all Americans, regardless of sex.
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Supporters say the bill would aim to end legal discrimination based on sex when it came to employment, property, divorce and other matters. However, opponents say ratification would actually strip women of protections like alimony, make it harder for them to gain custody of their children during divorce, and cause them to be drafted into the military.
While there has been renewed interest in the ERA, it has yet to be adopted. Maybe pushing it through would elevate our standing among international, gender equality watchdogs
In all, out of 146 countries, the United States has been rated the 43rd best for gender equality this year. That's a significant slide than last year, when America claimed 27th place in the Global Gender Report.
Conversely, Iceland took the title for being the most gender-equal country for the 14th year in a row.
The international ranking was based on gender gaps across four key metrics: political leadership, health, education and work.
So, while the United States is not the best place in the world for women, they can move to New York and enjoy slightly better conditions than most of the country.
