Foundation Releases New Report on Status of Minnesota Women

A new report by the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, Minneapolis, gives an updated overview of the status of women in Minnesota. The report uses four indicators to assess women's status - political participation, employment and economic status, reproductive rights, and health and well-being - and breaks down the indicators by county.

The report used research methodology employed by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in its "Status of Women in the States" publications. Data in the report came from a variety of sources, primarily government agencies.

Among the key findings in the report:

Political Participation:

• More than half of Minnesota counties have no women county commissioners.
     
• 19 Minnesota counties have less than 50 percent voter turnout by women.

Employment and Economic Status:

• Women comprise 47 percent of Minnesota's workforce, but full-time, year-round female workers in the state earn only 73 percent of what their male counterparts earn.
     
• In every county, women's median earnings are less than men's.

Reproductive Rights:

• More than 25 percent of Minnesota women live in counties without a family planning clinic.
     
• Most Minnesota counties - 97 percent - have no abortion provider.

Health and Well-Being:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in Minnesota, followed by cancer.

The report also provides a comparison of Minnesota counties on each of the four indicators. Highlights of the county rankings include:

• Washington County had the highest overall ranking for the four indicators combined, followed by Sherburne and Chisago counties.
     
• Yellow Medicine and Chisago counties tied for No. 1 in political participation. Three of Yellow Medicine's five county commissioner seats are held by women, and Chisago has the highest percentage of women voters (74 percent).
     
• Olmsted County ranked No. 1 for employment and economic status, followed by Anoka and Hennepin counties.
     
• Cook County ranked No. 1 in reproductive rights, followed by Lincoln and Lake counties.
    
• Lake of the Woods County ranked No. 1 in Health and Well-Being, followed by Carver and Pope counties.

You can download the report (PDF, 6 pages) from the foundation's Web site. At the site you can also access more in-depth research, demographic information and women's resources for each county. Go to www.wfmn.org, select "Research & Education" then "Status of Women in Minnesota Counties."

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