Removing Barriers for Women Key to State’s Economic Growth
May 28th, 2015
Yesterday, a group of leaders met at the state Capitol to announce an initiative that seeks to remove barriers for women in Mississippi as they seek to support their families and move up the economic ladder.
Close to three out of every four women in Mississippi aged 22-54 are working, but Mississippi women earn only 71 cents for every dollar of men’s earnings. Almost half of all children in Mississippi are growing up in homes headed by single women for which the prevalence of low-wage work, the difficulty of finding quality and affordable child care, and inadequate leave policies, make it tough to support a family. We cannot move forward if we leave women behind. If women are held back, it will continue to have serious consequences for economic growth in Mississippi.
The Women’s Economic Security Initiative, a project of the Mississippi Low-Income Childcare Initiative, will be holding a series of “town talks” in the coming months to develop policy solutions to help Mississippi women move forward. The talks will culminate in a State Policy Summit in October and the release of a policy agenda.
The Mississippi Economic Policy Center’s “Women and Economic Security: A Data Brief” was compiled for the initiative and has provided some context for where we are and the challenges ahead. Click here to download the brief.
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