IWPR Publication

The Status of Women in the States: Overview
by Institute for Women's Policy Research (August 2002)

Women in the United States have achieved great advances and are seeing important changes in their lives. Their access to political, economic, and social rights has improved greatly over the past 20 years. Nonetheless, they do not enjoy equality with men, and they lack many of the legal guarantees that would allow them to achieve it. Women across the nation would benefit from stronger enforcement of equal opportunity laws, greater political representation, adequate and affordable child care, stronger poverty reduction programs, and other policies to improve their status.