Georgia Gets a Failing Grade for the Overall Well-being of Women

Once again, sigh, Georgia is among the worst in a new analysis that ranks states by how well its citizens are faring. Georgia ranks as the 41st worst state for women, according to a recent report by the Center for American Progress.  “The State of Women in America” analyzes various factors around women’s livelihood, considering three broad areas: economic security, leadership and health.

Some interesting findings include:

 

  • For overall economic security, Georgia ranks 40th and gets an “F.” This incorporates several factors like poverty, wages, workplace policies and early education access and spending.

In Georgia, 20.6 percent of women and girls live in poverty. However, for women of color, particularly Hispanic, Native American, and African American women and girls, the rates of poverty are much higher.  One positive note is Georgia’s 58.7 percent rate of four-year-olds enrolled in state pre-K is among the top 10 in the country.

  • On leadership, Georgia ranks 43rd and gets an “F.” This measures factors including the percent of women holding leadership positions in the workplace or in elected office at the state level and Congress.

While Georgia’s five million women make up more than 50 percent of the state’s population, they hold no seats in Congress or in statewide executive seats, while nearly 23 percent of seats in the state Legislature are held by women. In the workplace, women hold just 38.38 percent of management jobs.

  • On health, Georgia ranks 37th and gets a “D.”  This measurement includes uninsured rates, access and rights to reproductive health, Medicaid expansion policy and maternal and infant mortality.

About one in five women, or 20.4 percent, are uninsured in Georgia. The rates are much higher for women of color, particularly Hispanic and African-American women.  Another alarming fact from the report is Georgia ranks as the state with the second highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, with 20.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

For Georgia’s continued success and growth, the state must find ways to improve the overall well-being of its women. Not only do women make up more than half of the population, but their livelihoods have a direct impact on the livelihood of the state’s economy and long-term economic health.

To read all the findings and see how Georgia compares to the other states, visit the Center for American Progress.

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4 thoughts on “Georgia Gets a Failing Grade for the Overall Well-being of Women”

  1. The statement that there are no women holding statewide executive seats is untrue. The CFO of the state is a woman, Teresa McCartney. Before her, a woman also held the position. Please correct. Thanks.

  2. Georgia promotes unequal pay and require women do more work while being oppressed by both men and women welcoming bullying in the work place to keep these women under control with the constant threat of being terminated based on the “right to work state” as it really means the right to fire and not hire state, the right to bully state, the right to oppress state, and the right to hold a wide range of jobs under one scope with absolutely no consideration of pay.

  3. Well let’s break this down, shall we?

    1. First of all, the Center for American Progress conducted the study. And the Center for American Progress is Washington’s leading LIBERAL think tank. So that’s our starting point.

    2. This article states that for overall economic security, Georgia ranks 40th and receives an F, and that for “…women of color, the rates of poverty are much higher [than the 20.6% average poverty rate in Georgia]”. The article FAILS to state that for women of color, single unwed motherhood and teen pregnancy are ALSO much higher than average. Is the State of Georgia somehow responsible for these women and girls getting pregnant, having sex, failing to use contraception? NOT AT ALL.

    These behaviors are highly correlated CAUSES of poverty. And they are INDIVIDUAL behaviors, and have nothing whatever to do with the State of Georgia’s behavior.

    3. This article states that women hold no seats in Congress or in statewide executive seats. Every one of those positions is an ELECTED position. Which means that women either didn’t run for the seat, or they didn’t campaign successfully for the seat.

    Again, INDIVIDUAL behaviors which have nothing whatever to do with the State of Georgia’s behavior.

    4. This article states that Georgia ranks 37th in the nation for overall health, but the author again blames that on the State of Georgia. Well guess what? Georgia ranks even worse with regard to obesity. Georgians eat more, eat less nutritious foods, and exercise less than nearly everyone else in the nation. Georgian women expose themselves to more sexually transmitted diseases because they fail to use protection or abstinence more. Georgians smoke more than others also. All of which leads to worse health.

    And again, ALL of that is due to INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR.

    5. Finally, the author’s conclusion is that all of this is the State of Georgia’s responsibility to fix.

    This author is 100% incorrect. Instead of blaming the State, the author should be blaming the individuals, if she feels it is necessary to lay blame.

    The State of Georgia does not inhale cigarette smoke. The State of Georgia does not have unprotected, teen, unmarried sex. The State of Georgia doesn’t eat Twinkies instead of healthy vegetables. The State of Georgia doesn’t conduct a person’s campaign for public office.

    Liberals will have you believe that it’s the government’s responsibility to protect you from your own behavior.

    Don’t buy it.

  4. I’m one of the few true GA peaches left. With each passing day as of late, I am more and more disappointed in our state and seriously considering digging up my Southern roots. It’s a shame that GA’s leaders are not taking care of their people and are only looking out for themselves. If they only had to live one day in the life of GA’s working class, those that still have a soul left, would reconsider their decisions. As always, I will continue to pray for us all and do my part to help force change. God bless my Georgia sisters and brothers!

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