Tuesday, Aug. 26 will be observed as Women’s Equality Day and with the U.S. ranking as only the 42nd best country for gender equality, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on the Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2025.
The Golden State was in the top 10 for equality in the country, coming in at number seven overall.
In order to determine where women receive the most equal treatment in American society, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 17 key metrics. The data set ranges from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity in unemployment rates for women and men.
Women’s Equality in California (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
Overall Rank: 7th
1st – Earnings Gap
28th – Executive Positions Gap
8th – Work Hours Gap
1st – Educational Attainment Gap (among Advanced Degree Holders)
12th – Minimum-Wage Workers Gap
1st – Unemployment Rate Gap
15th – Entrepreneurship Rate Gap
19th – Political Representation Gap
“Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights. States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women’s equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. “Hawaii is the best state for women’s equality. There is no gap in the rate of men and women who are minimum-wage workers in Hawaii, and women are 0.5 percent less likely to be unemployed than men. On the education front, by eighth grade, there is only a slight math test score disparity between boys and girls. And when it comes to politics, Hawaii has no gender disparity among its national representatives.”
Along with Hawaii coming in at number one, the top five also included Nevada at number two, Maryland, Maine and Oregon. In the bottom five were Louisiana at number 46, followed by Arkansas, Idaho, Texas and Utah at number 50.
For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-women-equality/5835
Expert Commentary
The U.S. is currently ranked 58th when it comes to the gender gap in health and survival. What is driving this? What should be done to close this gap?
“The gender gap in health in the US remains extremely problematic for women. Multiple factors drive the difference between women’s and men’s health. One major factor is that access to quality healthcare varies significantly by social class, race-ethnicity, and sexual and gender identity … The wealth gap in the United States also plays a major role. Despite having health care more affordable now than ever, the quality of the health care and what insurance will cover varies greatly. This shapes how lower income women and women in poverty access healthcare for themselves and their children. Poor people tend to die from treatable illnesses, while those with more wealth tend to die from chronic illnesses they treat over long periods of time … Many of the changes needed are at the societal level. All people need access to quality healthcare that is not limited by income or occupation (where most people get their health insurance). Quality healthcare also needs to be available in all areas and accessible to those who take public transportation and do not have flexible work schedules. The growing gap between the rich and the poor in this society also needs to be addressed.”
Jo Reger – Professor; Department Chair, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work & Criminal Justice, Oakland University
What policies would prove effective at increasing female representation in senior management roles in the Fortune 500 and other large, multinational corporations?
“To increase the number of women in senior management, companies need to focus on every step of the corporate ladder, including the bottom rung. That ‘broken rung’ is the crucial first promotion in organizations that research shows is the leakiest part of the pipeline for career advancement, especially for women of color, women with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people. Effective policies to recruit, retain, and promote women include pay transparency, banning prior salary history questions when hiring, training managers, dealing directly with microaggressions, and supporting flexible work options. Because women still carry the disproportionate burden of care giving responsibilities, companies need to commit to family friendly policies, including paid family leave, paid sick leave, pregnancy and nursing protections, and support for childcare and other caring labor obligations that contribute to burnout.”
Jessie B. Ramey, Ph.D. – Director, Women’s Institute; Associate Professor, Chatham University
“Implementing policies that address systemic gender biases, such as the stereotype that women are submissive or weak and therefore incapable of leadership, is crucial. Additionally, promoting education that enhances cognitive flexibility can help challenge and change these outdated perceptions.”
Katerina (Kate) Bezrukova – Associate Professor and Chair of Organization and Human Resources, University at Buffalo School of Management
How does inflation affect the gender pay gap?
“People with higher wages are more likely to receive raises at or over the inflation rate, and due to the current gender pay gap, that skews to men … This negatively affects both families headed by single moms and households with two earners.”
Elizabeth Gregory – Professor; Director, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies & Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality, University of Houston
“This exacerbates the disparity. A key issue is that women often do not advocate for themselves in pay negotiations, while inflation creates additional opportunities for men to negotiate more effectively.”
Katerina Bezrukova – Associate Professor; Chair of Organization and Human Resources, University at Buffalo
