In the past 50 years, California has undergone significant growth, making it the most populous state in the nation with over 37 million residents. While the overall ratio of females to males in California has remained roughly equal since 1970, the status of women and girls in California has not reached the levels of equity that should be reflective of their numbers. In order to fully understand the realities and issues facing today's California women and girls, it is critical to examine the complex intersection of demographic factors that shape their lives, including ethnic distribution, immigration status, age and lifespan, veteran status and family structure.

Total Population

18.7 million

The number of women and girls who call California home, comprising just over half of its residents

Ethnicity

Latinas, Asians, African Americans, multiracial, American Indian and Pacific Islanders comprise 57% of the total population of California women and girls [Figure 1].

• Nearly 40% of women and girls living in California speak a language other than English in the home compared to 18% nationally.

Immigration

28%

The percentage of women and girls in the state who are foreign born. Almost half (48%) of these women became naturalized U.S. citizens. More women than men immigrate to California.

Age

36 years old

The median age of women in California. Of the total population of women, 27% are under 18, and 13% are over 65.5

Veterans

166,709

The number of California women veterans is the largest in the United States. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there are 1.8 million women veterans in the U.S.

Families and Singles

In California, 46% of women are currently married, while 32% have never married. For women ages 20-34, 58% have never been married [Figure 2]. These numbers reflect a national trend of women delaying marriage.

• Of the total family households with children, 21% are headed by women only, as opposed to 8% headed by men only.

California women and girls share a complex story of both achievement and continued gender gaps in the realm of education. In many areas, such as the language arts in grades K-12 and post-secondary degree completion, females overall are on par with or surpassing males. However, a closer look at the subjects of science and mathematics reveals that gender gaps appear as girls move up in grade level. In addition, fewer women than men are earning degrees in the important STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

K-12 Students

During the 2010-2011 academic year, 6.2 million students were enrolled in K-12 schools.10 Nearly half were girls.

Reflective of California's diversity, the majority of K-12 girls (74%) are from an ethnic minority background [Figure 3].

K-12 Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fields (STEM)

In education, a gender gap exists in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Figure 4 reveals that these performance gaps increase dramatically when students begin taking physics and chemistry. However, girls do perform on par with boys on standardized state tests in the biological sciences.

• Girls report less interest and confidence in STEM fields, particularly after middle school.13 Only a small number of girls take these subjects in advanced placement programs in high school. For example, girls comprise only 36% of those students enrolled in advanced placement physics.

K-12 Achievement in STEM

In the elementary years, girls are on par with boys in math. However, girls begin to fall below boys on tests for geometry and algebra II [Figure 5].

K-12 Achievement in Language Arts

• Throughout K-12 education, girls outperform boys in language arts on California standardized tests.

Educational Level

Women and men ages 25 and over have similar rates of education; however, if one looks just at ages 25-34, women hold 35% of the bachelor's degrees while men hold 27% (and 85% of women have completed high school versus 80% of men). This is in contrast to women and men over the age of 65, where men hold 33% of bachelor's degrees and women only hold 21%.

Postsecondary Education

Across degree types women are graduating from California colleges and universities at a higher rate than men [Figure 8].

• Although California women are graduating from college at higher rates than men, fewer women are earning degrees in computer and information sciences, engineering, and mathematics and statistics. More women than men are earning degrees in biological and biomedical sciences.

When examining the employment of women in California, it is important to consider three main categories: current status, current occupational concentration and future projections, and earnings. Despite women's advances in education and career fields, the greatest percentages are still concentrated in occupations traditionally held by women, such as administrative and executive assistants, nurses, teachers and social workers. Additionally, women earn less than men. Yet future job growth projections bring the promise of new positions and higher wages for California women.

Employment Status

• Fewer women (62%) are employed than men (72%). [Figure 10]. Only 54% of women with children under the age of 6 are employed.

In California, the rate of married women with children under 18 who are working [Figure 11] mirrors the national number. This rate has been consistent since 1995.

Women represent a majority of employees in the health care field, followed closely by sales and office occupations, and education, legal, community service, arts, and media occupations [Figure 12].

While women are the majority of health care and education/legal occupational clusters, there is great variability even within these clusters.

• Health Care Practitioners: Women constitute 86% of registered nurses but only 33% of Physicians and surgeons.
• Education/Legal: Women constitute 75% of K-8 teachers and 45% of postsecondary teachers; women are 77% of paralegals and only 34% of lawyers and 46% of judges.
• STEM: Women constitute 46% of life and physical scientists, 16% of engineers and architects, 24% of mathematical or computer occupations.

Earnings

In all occupational fields, women's annual median earnings consistently fall below that of men. The greatest difference was in management, business, and financial occupations, where women earned $19,668 less than men. [Figure 14]

• The top four occupations with the highest projected growth in California in the next five years are in STEM areas: biomedical engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, biochemists and biophysicists, and medical scientists. These occupations also represent some of the highest average annual wages, ranging from $82,212 to $93,327.

Poverty Level

Poverty affects every aspect of a person's life. In California, gender increases the likelihood of being poor, as more women than men are living below the federal poverty threshold. Single mothers are more likely to live with financial insecurity and are more likely to fall into poverty. Additionally, women of color are more likely to live below the poverty level than white women.

• A person is considered poor if her pre-tax income falls below the federal poverty threshold. The threshold is divided into multiple categories based on annual income, family size and age of householder. For example, the poverty threshold for a family of three members is $17,568.
• The poverty rate for all women and girls living in California is 17%, while the poverty rate for men and boys is 15%.

More than one in five girls under age 18 and one in nine women 65 and older are living below the poverty level [Figure 15].

Households Headed by Women

• More than one in three households headed by woman with children (35%) have income that falls below the poverty level.
• Single mothers are losing jobs faster than married parents.31 As a result, single mothers with children under the age 5 are more likely to be poor, with a poverty rate at 40%.

Poverty Level by Ethnicity

Women of color are more likely to live below the poverty level than white women. For example, 25% of Latina women and 24% of African American women lived in poverty last year, versus 10% of white women [Figure 16].

As the most populous state in the union, California wields a significant amount of power and influence in the United States and internationally. However, while women comprise nearly half of the state's population, significant gender gaps continue to exist in organizational leadership and political representation. While women are making gains in formal leadership, areas of particular concern are positions in for-profit businesses and government.

Private Sector

From 1997 to 2007, there was a 48% increase in the number of women-owned businesses in California. Despite this growth, in 2007 women-owned firms only accounted for 30% of all California businesses, while 49% of businesses were owned by men [Figure 17]. However, California leads the nation in the number of women-owned businesses.

• Only 3% of CEOs and only 10% of board directors are women in California's Fortune 400 companies [Figure 18]. Real estate and utilities industries have the highest percentage of women directors at 14% and 13%, respectively.

Public Sector

While women comprise nearly half of California's population, they are underrepresented in federal, state and local government [Figure 19].

Media and technology play an enormous role in the lives of women and girls. Currently, Americans spend more than $280 billion on entertainment on an annual basis and exposure of girls ages 8-18 to media exceeds over 8 hours a day. Although females represent half of the overall population, they continue to be less prevalent in family entertainment. In addition, despite California's technological advances in recent decades, there is a gender digital divide that needs to be addressed. Women report less knowledge, ownership and use of information and communication technologies than men. Even college-age women self-report feeling less confident in their computer skills than young men their age. This puts women at a critical disadvantage as they venture into a job market which increasingly requires technology skills.

Women and Media

3 men to 1 woman

Since 1946, male presence on screen in G-rated family films has dominated over female presence at a ratio of 3 to 1.

20%

From 2006 to 2009, only 20% of employed characters portrayed in G-rated family films were female, of which none were depicted as members of the medical sciences, or as leaders, in business, law, or politics.

5 men to 1 woman

Unfortunately, women are also underrepresented behind the scenes with five males to every one female holding key production roles, such as directors, writers, or producers.

Internet usage

• California is a national leader in technology development, and its residents are more likely to report use of the Internet (84%) than the rest of the nation (77%).
• Despite California's technological advances, how technology and the Internet are used remains divided by gender. Women own less computer technology, operate it less frequently and report less confidence in usage. The size of the gender gap varies by region. San Francisco Bay and the Central Valley report fewer gender disparities in terms of Internet use compared to Los Angeles and other Southern California regions.

Technology Ownership

Figure 20 shows that a smaller percentage of California women than men own a computer, cell phone, MP3 player and gaming console.

Women's Perception of Technology Skills

• A survey of students enrolled in California colleges revealed a larger percentage of women (70%) self-report average or below average computer skills in contrast to 51% of men. One explanation for this greater confidence among men stems from early exposure to games and gaming consoles. As gaming consoles become more integrated into entertainment systems that not only play games but also enable social interaction, girls and women may be at a disadvantage in terms of computer technology knowledge and skill trajectories.

Evaluating the health of women and girls in California is an important step toward understanding the strength and resilience of the population. Overall health status is influenced by many factors. Key areas assessed include access to care, leading causes of death, obesity, birthrates, and maternal mortality. Mirroring national trends, income and ethnicity remain major factors in health disparities of California women.

Life Expectancy

Asian and Latina women live longer than the average life expectancy of 83 years for all California women. [Figure 22].

Leading Causes of Death

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in California, affecting 12% of women over the age of 55. For low-income women over the age of 55, the rate is 16%.
• Cancer prevention and treatments have improved significantly, boosting overall survival rates for cancer patients. By 2007, cancer mortality in the state for women ages 50 and over had dropped to 461.2/100,000 from its 1987 peak of 569.5/100,000.

Obesity

• In 2010, 25% of women in the state were obese, compared with 14% in 1995. Differences exist among ethnic groups: 2010 obesity rates are 21% for white women over age 18, 31% for Latinas and 41% for African American women [Figure 23].
• Overall obesity among low-income women is 28%, compared with 20% of higher income women.53 Among California girls ages 12-17, the obesity rate is 10%.
• Only 13% of teenage girls were physically active for the recommended 60 minutes each day.55 Physical activity contributes directly to the overall health and well-being of children, and establishing physically active habits in childhood can help reduce adult obesity rates.

Maternal and Infant Health

• Maternal mortality rates in California have more than doubled since the mid-1980s, from six deaths /100,000 live births to 14 /100,000. African American women are four to five times more likely to die from obstetrical complications than all other races combined.
• Cesarean birth rates in California have climbed from 7% in 1970 to 32% in 2007. The data show that first-time and repeat cesarean section procedures increase the risk of maternal death.
• Breastfeeding is an important public health strategy for preventing childhood obesity. California women initiate breastfeeding at the rate of 90%, which exceeds the national average.

• The total infant mortality rate in California is 5.3 deaths per 1,000 births. African American babies die at more than twice the average rate.

Teen Pregnancy

Births to teens have been declining for the past two decades, from its peak at 71 births for every 1,000 teens in 1991 to 32 in 2009.

• While Latina teens have the highest birth rate compared to other ethnic groups, they had the biggest drop in three years, from 62/1,000 in 2007 to 51/1,000 in 2009 [Figure 25].
• Poor and low-income teens account for 83% of teens who give birth.

Access to Health Care

• Estimates suggest that 23% of women ages 19-64 in the state of California are uninsured compared to the national average of 20%. Latinas ages 19-64 report being uninsured at a rate of 31%, more than three times the rate of white women (10%) [Figure 26].

Uninsured women receive less preventative care and fewer recommended screenings and are less likely to participate in chronic disease management. Together, these facts allow many women to succumb to diseases that could have been prevented by early detection.

California women's mental health status includes both psychological disorders and substance abuse. Although California men and women receive mental health treatment at the same rate, women report greater psychological distress for longer periods of time and identify a need for psychological services more frequently than men. California's girls are not immune to these disorders and are treated for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders more often than boys. In examining the frequency of substance abuse, women are abusing methamphetamine at a significantly higher rate than seen nationally, and at a greater rate than males.

• In a recent survey of first-year California college students, more male freshmen reported having higher emotional health, self-confidence and self-understanding than female freshmen [Figure 27].

Mental Health Treatment

Self-report surveys also indicate that women experience greater psychological distress for longer periods of time than men [Figure 28].

• Studies have found between 10% to 15% of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression.

While 23% of women reported needing counseling for mental health problems, only 11% received counseling [Figure 29].

Psychological Disorders in Girls

• California girls are treated for disorders like depression, anxiety and bipolar more often than boys [Figure 30].

Substance Abuse

California women abuse methamphetamine at a rate significantly higher than seen nationally, and at a greater rate than males. Nationally, methamphetamine is the primary substance of abuse for only 8% of females (women and girls), as compared to 33% for females in California [Figure 31]. The rate of methamphetamine abuse has risen in the past 10 years. In 2000, the rate of methamphetamine abuse was 24% for California women.

• The most common primary substance of abuse for women entering treatment in California is methamphetamine. Treatment for alcohol is the next most common, followed by marijuana and heroin. For girls, the most common primary substance of abuse is marijuana.

Violence has a startling impact on many California women's daily lives and functioning. It can prevent them from feeling safe in public places, in the workplace and in their homes. California women report higher incidences of intimate partner assault than national averages. However, violence is not only an adult phenomenon. Girls experience abuse at the hands of parents or caretakers and are harassed and bullied by friends and peers. Throughout their lives, women and girls are rarely free from the threat of violence. At this time, the state's social service resources are insufficient to address all the emotional, physical and economic effects needed to fully support victims of violence.

Intimate Partner Violence

A total of 40% of California women surveyed report that they have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Nationally, 33% of women were assaulted by an intimate partner at some point during their lifetime [Figure 32].

Sexual Assault

Overall, girls are sexually abused more often than boys and are most at risk for sexual abuse during the ages of 11-15 [Figure 33].

• Over the course of their lifetimes, 14% of California women reported that they have been raped.
• It is estimated that there are 27 million modern slaves around the world today. They are victims of human trafficking. About half of these victims are children. California has been identified as the top destination for traffickers - with most victims being women and girls who are forced into prostitution.

Social Services

• While there are social services in California to support survivors of violence, they are insufficient in number to address the substantial emotional, physical, economic and social effects of partner violence. About 72% of shelter agencies report that they are regularly at, or exceeding, capacity. Because of a lack of resources, approximately 7,348 adult women and men victims are turned away from California shelters each year.

Bullying

In California, 46% of girls (grades 7-11) report being bullied about their ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Bullying occurs when a person is threatened, harassed, intimidated, defamed, or attacked by another individual or group with the intention of harming the victim physically, psychologically or verbally. Nationally, 33% of girls between the ages of 12-18 report being bullied at school [Figure 34].

Overall, women account for a relatively small share of persons in correctional systems throughout the United States, and California is no different. However, despite the decline in crime rates for the past ten years, female incarceration in California has surged. Women, by and large, are arrested and subsequently incarcerated for non-violent acts, most of which stem from property and drug related crimes. Though these crimes are nonviolent, because of strict California statutes, these offences often carry lengthy sentences. Reform efforts over the past decades have placed emphasis on examining the variables surrounding female prison incarceration in the State of California to address this problem.

Incarceration Rate

• Women comprise 6% (or 10,812) of the total incarcerated population.
• In California, girls are less likely to be re-arrested after serving their sentence than boys. Female juveniles have a recidivism rate of nearly 40%, whereas male juveniles' recidivism rate is slightly above 57%.

• White women are the predominant racial/ethnic group among women in California state prisons, followed by Latinas and African American women [Figure 35]. Since 1990, the number of Latina prisoners has increased by 8%. White prisoners have increased by just over 2%, and African American women prisoners have experienced a decline of approximately 11%.

Prevalent Offenses

The top three offenses - property, person and drug offenses [Figure 36] - are highly correlated; many times women commit crimes to support a drug habit.

In December 2011, faculty from Mount St. Mary's College, fellow academics and researchers, and representatives of the California Commission on the Status of Women gathered to discuss these research findings, look for patterns in the data, identify need for future research and consider calls to action to address what might be done to improve gender equality. A troubling pattern became apparent: as girls become women they start to fall behind their male counterparts in important skill areas, and, as a result, when they have reached their prime earning years of middle age, they have fallen well behind. Girls are equal to boys in math skills in elementary school, but sharply fall behind in their teen years. Women are close to being the majority in law school, but 10 years later they are less likely to be partners, and 20 years later they are unlikely to hold the highest leadership positions in law firms. Women are entering and starting businesses, but women CEOs are rare.

In light of this pattern, it is imperative that academia play a role in examining the extent to which young women may face barriers in rising to the top in crucial sectors of our society and economy.

We have seen the first woman become Speaker of the House; make a serious bid for the Presidency; be elected Attorney General of California; and for the first time in history we have three women on the Supreme Court of the United States. But much work remains to be done. To find the best path to equality, more research is needed to fully understand the conditions facing young women and girls. Not enough of the research in the areas examined by this report disaggregates data by gender. By examining the role of gender in greater depth, we can pave the way for true equality and a culture that fosters the success and well-being of the women and girls of California.

At Mount St. Mary's College, we have the privilege to educate young women. We need to look no further than our students and their incredible success stories to find our inspiration to dedicate ourselves to finding the best practices to help them become healthy, active, educated women. We call on all those concerned with the well-being of the women and girls of California to let this report be an inspiration to support these women in finding their paths to become all they are capable of being - in the spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.