MSMU RSWG 2023 final - Flipbook - Page 34
EDITOR’S NOTE
This 12th annual edition of The Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™ accesses research results across
the state and the nation to build a comprehensive picture of how California’s women and girls are faring. The 2023
Report focuses on information relevant to three intersecting areas of women’s lives: economic security, health, and home
and family. We also provide breakdowns of some data by racial or ethnic identity to provide some insights into disparities
among women.
COMMON TERMS USED IN THE REPORT
Gender
While we do note California’s transgender and nonbinary
population, the Report is generally written in binary
terms based on the majority of the state’s population that
identifies as either female or male.
• Women, girls, females: Females is the general term but is
not generally favored in diversity studies. The Report refers
to women (females 18 years and over unless otherwise
specified) and girls as generally females under the age of
18 years.
• Men, boys, males: The age distinctions used for females
generally apply here.
Racial/ethnic distinctions, in surveys usually
self-identified by respondents
U.S. Census data allow a single choice among several races
or a multiracial identification; a racial group is exclusively
of that race on the basis of self-identification. Ninety-five
percent of California women self-identify as one of four
racial/ethnic groups: African American (Black), Asian,
Hispanic (Latinx), and White.
• Latinx refers to a group of mixed genders, Latina to Latinx
women, and Latino to Latinx men. The Census Bureau also
refers to Latinx as persons of any race, but of Hispanic origin.
• African American, as used in this Report where source data
use the term, includes persons who identify as Black.
• Asian American refers to a person who identifies as Asian
and who resides in the United States.
• White includes anyone who identifies as such, excluding
persons who have identified a Latin or Hispanic heritage.
Two other racial groups native to the United States or its
territories are tracked by the Census Bureau: American
Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
Unfortunately, statistical data on these populations at the
level used in this Report are generally not stable or reliable
due to the small population sizes.
Characteristics of data used in the Report
• The data provide a snapshot at the time the
measurement was made. The Report draws heavily on
the U.S. Census Bureau’s yearly American Community
Surveys (ACS). The most recent ACS data is from 2021;
other smaller databases used for the Report may have data
available from 2022.
• Data over multiple years must be used to discern trends.
This Report makes use of multi-year trends through 2019
to determine how women’s status has changed. However,
a discontinuity is seen in some of the 2020 and 2021 data
as a result of the pandemic. It’s not yet clear whether the
discontinuity is a blip or whether it signals a new trend line.
• All statistical data are imprecise. The reliability or
precision of data relies on the size of sample studied and
how representative the sample is of the population as a
whole. Note that for simplicity, margins of error are not
given in this Report and data are generally rounded to
whole numbers. Use caution when comparing any numbers
that are close in value. Specific margins of error can be
found in most of the references cited.
• Survey data are only as accurate as the respondents’
answers. Many surveys ask participants a lot of questions,
some of which require specific and extensive knowledge.
When using survey data, it is assumed that respondents
answer as truthfully as they can. However, individuals
may differ in their understanding of questions, their life
experiences, and knowledge of facts.
• Go to the source in the endnotes. The following endnotes
provide detailed citations for all data and claims presented
in the Report.
Good data should lead to complex questions, reflection,
and potential new actions. With each edition of this
Report, our goal is to help inform public policies and other
data-driven decision-making that affects the status of
women. This year, we hope the Report will also provide
useful context as we all seek to find greater meaning and
purpose in our personal and professional lives.
34 THE REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA | 2023
