MSMU RSWG 2023 final - Flipbook - Page 14
CHAPTER ONE
Economic Security
For California’s women, the economic outlook has been a mixed bag since
COVID-19’s arrival. Earnings have increased for many, and the pandemic necessitated
a rapid expansion of remote work flexibility. But job loss, reduced work hours, and
inflation hit women in lower-wage jobs hardest. And while the ongoing gender wage
gap receives warranted attention, a deeper root cause of inequality stems from
a gender wealth gap. All of this matters because it is nearly impossible to achieve
agency and independence without firm financial footing.
DEFINING DATA
Education and poverty are clearly connected.
Among households headed by a single woman without a high school degree, the poverty rate
is 1 in 3. With a bachelor’s degree or higher, that poverty rate drops to 1 in 10.
14 THE REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA | 2023