Why Iowa women matter: Changing lives

By Terry Hernandez

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The World Bank calls investing in women “smart economics” because research shows economic growth for women has a critical multiplier effect.

Women are more likely to share their personal economic gains with their families and communities; women reinvest 90 percent of their income in food, health care, home improvement and schooling for themselves and their children. In short, “women's progress” is “society progress.”

In Iowa, there are changes in the lives of girls and women that we see every day:

l We've embraced more women in our military.

l More women are attending and graduating from college.

l More women are in our labor force.

l Girls are reaching greater proficiency in academics, including science and mathematics.

l Women's life expectancy has increased.

Although these are reasons to celebrate, research presented in a new report from the Iowa Women's Leadership Project - “SHE MATTERS: 2012 Status of Women and Girls in Iowa” - tells us that for many Iowa females, the vision of self-sufficiency, independence and opportunity isn't within reach.

This report provides a measure of the demographics of our state, the health and well-being of our girls and women, the achievement and autonomy we've attained, and the employment and income levels we've reached.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Iowa women's participation in the work force has more than doubled since 1970. Today, more than 80 percent Iowa women ages 16 to 64 are working.

With this enormous increase in the female work force, Iowa women still earn only 79 percent of what men earn when all other factors are equal. This may seem insignificant, but consider that collectively, Iowa women are paid over $4.1 trillion less annually because of this wage gap. Per woman, this could mean 82 weeks of groceries or eight months of mortgage payments.

There are other glaring disparities:

l 21.3 percent of Iowa's legislators are female.

l Women hold only

11 percent of executive positions in Iowa's insurance businesses.

l Only 16 percent of corporate board positions are held by women.

l The number of women-owned businesses has dropped over the last decade.

l 13 percent of Iowa women have no health insurance, 14 percent live in poverty and more than 80 percent of homeless families are women with children.

When we see these indicators, we realize that not only have women not progressed, in many cases, we've lost ground. The facts underscore the reality that the value of Iowa's (and our country's) women and girls must be demonstrated. By adequate earnings. By career and promotion opportunities. By assuring safety. And by having an equal voice for all decisions affecting Iowans. When these are realities, women and girls can participate fully in the life of Iowa communities.

The Iowa Women's Leadership Project has engaged women and organizations throughout the state to provide input and energy toward changing the trend lines. Our intent is that our daughters, nieces and granddaughters will have role models who reflect Iowa's population - half of our leaders, at a minimum, will be women.

“SHE MATTERS: 2012 Status of Women and Girls in Iowa” was created by a public/private partnership of Iowa organizations forming the Iowa Women's Leadership Project. The report will serve as a guide for the partnership's shared work to improve the quality of life for Iowa's women and girls. To read the full report, visit www.iowawomensconference.com.

Terry Hernandez is executive director of the Chrysalis Foundation, a public foundation established in 1989 to address the needs of girls and women in the Greater Des Moines area. Comments: thernandez@

chrysalisfdn.org