Despite earning 83 cents to a man’s dollar, graduating at higher rates, and owning 40% of businesses, women in America are still paid less, promoted less, funded less, and face greater economic instability, poorer health outcomes, and higher rates of violence.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, full-time working women in the US earned 83% of what men earned, with the median weekly earnings for women at $1,005 compared to $1,209 for men
- The gender pay gap persists across education levels, with women holding bachelor's degrees earning 74 cents per dollar compared to men with the same degree in 2021
- Women-owned businesses in the US received only 2% of total venture capital funding in 2022, totaling $2.3 billion out of $116.4 billion invested
- In 2022, 59% of women aged 25-34 had a bachelor's degree or higher compared to 55% of men
- Women earn 57% of all bachelor's degrees but only 21% in computer science in 2021
- High school completion rate for females is 93.4% vs 92.5% for males in 2020
- In 2021, female life expectancy was 79.1 years vs 73.2 for males, a 5.9-year gap
- Maternal mortality rate for US women was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, highest among high-income nations
- Women experience 50% higher rates of autoimmune diseases, affecting 8% vs 4% of men
- In 2023, women hold 28% of seats in the US Congress, up from 19% in 2011
- Only 10.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women in 2023
- Women comprise 33% of state legislators nationwide in 2023, varying from 10% in some states to 50% in others
- In 2021, 1 in 6 women experienced sexual violence, compared to 1 in 33 men
- 41% of women report intimate partner physical violence lifetime vs 26% men in 2022 NISVS
- Homicide: women victims 55% by intimate partners, highest rate globally among high-income countries
The blog post details pervasive American gender inequality across earnings, health, politics, and violence.
Economic Disparities
- In 2022, full-time working women in the US earned 83% of what men earned, with the median weekly earnings for women at $1,005 compared to $1,209 for men
- The gender pay gap persists across education levels, with women holding bachelor's degrees earning 74 cents per dollar compared to men with the same degree in 2021
- Women-owned businesses in the US received only 2% of total venture capital funding in 2022, totaling $2.3 billion out of $116.4 billion invested
- In 2021, 12.1% of women lived in poverty compared to 10.2% of men, with single-mother households facing a 25.4% poverty rate
- Unpaid caregiving work by women averages 2.6 hours more per day than men, equivalent to $1.5 trillion in annual economic value if paid
- Black women experience a 64% gender pay gap compared to white men, earning 64 cents per dollar in 2022
- Women hold only 10.6% of CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies as of 2023, down from previous years
- In STEM fields, women earn 74 cents per dollar compared to men despite comprising 28% of the workforce in 2021
- Mothers experience a 4% wage penalty per child, while fathers receive a 6% premium, totaling a $250,000 lifetime loss for women
- Women entrepreneurs face 20% higher loan denial rates than men with similar qualifications in 2022
- Latinas earn 57 cents per dollar compared to white non-Hispanic men in 2022
- Women over 65 are twice as likely as men to live in poverty, with 11.8% vs 7.9% rates in 2021
- In finance and insurance, women earn 78 cents per dollar to men's 100 in 2022
- Gig economy workers show women earning 18% less per hour than men on platforms like Uber in 2021
- Women save 55% less for retirement than men, with median balances of $59,000 vs $132,000 in 2022
- Native American women face a 52-cent pay gap to white men's dollar in 2021
- Part-time women workers earn 73 cents per dollar to part-time men in 2022 weekly medians
- Women in management earn 73 cents per dollar to men in similar roles in 2021
- Disabled women earn 79 cents per dollar to non-disabled men, compounding gaps
- In sales occupations, women earn 72 cents per dollar to men in 2022
- Women-led startups raise 2.3% of VC funding despite 40% of businesses being women-owned in 2022
- Social Security benefits for women average 80% of men's due to lower lifetime earnings in 2023
- In healthcare support roles, women earn 90 cents per dollar to men despite 85% female workforce in 2021
- Women face 30% higher credit card interest rates than men on average in 2022
- AAPI women earn 87 cents per dollar to white men in 2021
- In legal professions, women partners earn 80% of male partners' income in 2022
- Women in academia earn $0.71 per dollar to men at full professor level in 2021
- Household wealth gap shows single women with 32% less median wealth than single men in 2019
- In construction, women earn 92 cents per dollar but hold only 10% of jobs in 2022
- Women veterans earn 92 cents per dollar to male veterans in 2021
Economic Disparities Interpretation
The American economy continues to run on a massive, gendered discount where women are systematically overcharged with unpaid labor, underpaid for their work, and offered a steeply marked-up price for the same ambitions as men.
Educational Attainment
- In 2022, 59% of women aged 25-34 had a bachelor's degree or higher compared to 55% of men
- Women earn 57% of all bachelor's degrees but only 21% in computer science in 2021
- High school completion rate for females is 93.4% vs 92.5% for males in 2020
- Women comprise 74% of medical school enrollees but face barriers in surgical specialties at 25% in 2022
- In 2021, girls outperformed boys in reading by 27 points on NAEP scores nationally
- Women hold 55% of associate degrees but lag in engineering at 15% in 2022
- College enrollment gap shows 59% female vs 41% male undergraduates in 2021
- Black women earn 65% of bachelor's degrees awarded to Black students in 2020
- Women in PhD programs are 54% but only 23% in physics doctorates in 2021
- NAEP math scores show boys ahead by 4 points at grade 12 in 2022
- Latinas have a 89% high school graduation rate vs 84% for Latinos in 2020
- Women earn 40% of MBAs but 30% of Fortune 500 CFO positions post-graduation
- STEM degree attainment for women rose to 36% of all STEM bachelor's in 2021
- Disabled girls have 12% lower college enrollment than non-disabled boys in 2019
- AP exam participation shows girls at 50% but lower pass rates in calculus at 58% vs 65% boys in 2022
- Women comprise 81% of veterinary students but face practice ownership gaps
- Rural girls have 5% lower college-going rates than urban girls at 62% in 2021
- AAPI women earn 60% of AAPI bachelor's degrees in 2020
- Women in law school are 53% but 48% of partners in top firms in 2022
- NAEP science scores equal at grade 8 but boys lead by 5 at grade 12 in 2022
- Native American women have 70% high school completion vs 65% men in 2019
- Postsecondary enrollment for single mothers is 15% vs 45% for childless women aged 20-24
- Women earn 52% of master's degrees overall in 2021
- Boys are twice as likely to be identified for special education at 14% vs 7% girls in 2020
Educational Attainment Interpretation
Despite excelling across nearly every academic marker, American women are still routinely funneled away from the fields that wield the most power and money, while the men who lag behind in education somehow maintain their grip on the levers of economic and professional control.
Health Outcomes
- In 2021, female life expectancy was 79.1 years vs 73.2 for males, a 5.9-year gap
- Maternal mortality rate for US women was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, highest among high-income nations
- Women experience 50% higher rates of autoimmune diseases, affecting 8% vs 4% of men
- In 2022, 26.4% of women reported poor mental health vs 18.1% of men
- Black women have a breast cancer mortality rate 40% higher than white women in 2020
- Women over 65 report chronic conditions at 88% vs 82% for men in 2021 NHIS
- Suicide attempt rates are 3 times higher for women under 25 than men in 2021
- Obesity rates equal at 42% for both genders, but women face more related comorbidities
- Women veterans have PTSD rates of 20% vs 10% for male veterans post-deployment
- Heart disease death rate for women rose 4.5% from 2019-2020, narrowing prevention gaps
- Latinas have diabetes prevalence of 13.4% vs 12.1% for Latino men in 2021
- Women report higher healthcare access barriers, 12% vs 10% men uninsured in 2022
- Depression diagnosis rates: 10.5% women vs 5.5% men annually in 2021
- Native American women have infant mortality 1.5 times national average at 9.1 per 1,000 in 2020
- Women aged 18-44 have anxiety disorder prevalence of 23.4% vs 14.3% men in 2021
- Cervical cancer screening rates dropped to 65% for ages 21-65 in 2020
- AAPI women have lower heart disease screening but higher undetected hypertension at 15%
- Postpartum depression affects 1 in 8 women, with 50% undiagnosed in primary care
- Women in rural areas have 20% higher opioid overdose death rates than urban in 2021
- Disabled women have 2x stroke risk, with 15% prevalence vs 10% non-disabled
- Osteoporosis affects 1 in 3 women over 50, costing $19B annually in US
- Women delay medical care 25% more due to childcare responsibilities in 2022 surveys
- Alzheimer's diagnosis 2x higher in women at 65+, 1 in 5 vs 1 in 10 men
- HPV vaccination completion 55% for girls vs 49% boys ages 13-17 in 2021
- Women experience 75% of migraine cases, leading to 1.5x more lost workdays
Health Outcomes Interpretation
American women are statistically living longer but sicker lives than men, trading a few extra years for a cascade of neglected, underfunded, and uniquely gendered health burdens that paint longevity not as a victory but as a heavily taxed sentence.
Political Participation
- In 2023, women hold 28% of seats in the US Congress, up from 19% in 2011
- Only 10.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women in 2023
- Women comprise 33% of state legislators nationwide in 2023, varying from 10% in some states to 50% in others
- No woman has been US President as of 2023, with VP Kamala Harris first in 2021
- Women hold 52 of 535 congressional seats (9.7%) in governorships historically low, but 12 in 2023
- Black women are 6.5% of Congress members vs 14% population in 2023
- Latinas hold 5% of state legislative seats despite 9% eligible voters in 2022
- Women donors contribute 30% less to campaigns than men, averaging $100 vs $143 per donation
- Only 24% of US mayors are women in cities over 30,000 population in 2022
- AAPI women are 3% of Congress vs 6% population in 2023
- Women run for office 20% less than men in open seats per capita in 2022 cycles
- Native American women hold 1 Senate seat (1.3% of senators) in 2023
- Party leadership: women chair 18% House committees in 118th Congress
- Voter turnout gap closed; women 68% vs men 65% in 2020 election
- Women lobbyists are 25% of registered lobbyists in 2022
- Supreme Court: 4 women justices out of 9 (44%) as of 2023, historic high
- School board representation: women 44% nationally in 2021
- Campaign funding: women candidates raise 70% of male counterparts in primaries
- Disabled women underrepresented at 0.5% elected officials vs 12% population
- Women in state supreme courts average 32% justices in 2023
- LGBT women hold 1% of congressional seats vs 5% population estimate
- In 2022, women were 1 in 3 police chiefs in cities over 10,000
- Ballot access: women 28% of 2022 gubernatorial candidates
- Rural areas: women 25% of county commissioners vs 40% urban in 2021
Political Participation Interpretation
While political representation for women in the United States is inching forward like a glacier, the persistent and wide-ranging gaps across nearly every level of power—from corporate boardrooms to county commissions—reveal a system still fundamentally built for and by men.
Violence and Safety
- In 2021, 1 in 6 women experienced sexual violence, compared to 1 in 33 men
- 41% of women report intimate partner physical violence lifetime vs 26% men in 2022 NISVS
- Homicide: women victims 55% by intimate partners, highest rate globally among high-income countries
- College women: 1 in 5 assaulted sexually since entering campus per 2021 data
- Stalking victimization: 1 in 13 women vs 1 in 45 men lifetime in 2021
- Black women murdered by men at 4x rate of white women, 6 per day in 2022
- Transgender women face violence at 47% rate vs 8% cis women in 2022 survey
- Dating violence: 9% of high school girls vs 8% boys reported physical harm in 2021 YRBS
- Latinas experience IPV at 35% lifetime prevalence in 2020
- Elderly women: 83% of elder abuse victims are female, often financial or neglect
- Native American women: 84% lifetime violence victimization rate, 5x national average
- Cyberstalking: women 73% of victims in 2021
- Disabled women: 40% higher sexual assault risk than non-disabled
- AAPI women: 41% workplace harassment reports in 2021 surveys
- Gun violence: 51% of mass shooting victims women since 2014
- Teen dating apps: 1 in 10 girls coerced into sexting leading to abuse in 2022
- Homeless women: 90% experienced sexual assault prior to homelessness
- Military women: 24% sexual assault reports in 2021 DoD survey
- Rural women: 25% higher domestic violence rates due to isolation in 2020
- Revenge porn victims: 93% women in 2022 Cyber Civil Rights Initiative data
- Pregnancy-related homicide: leading cause of death for pregnant women, 13% of maternal deaths
- LGBTQ women: 44% lifetime IPV vs 35% straight women in 2019 NISVS
Violence and Safety Interpretation
This grim catalog of violences paints a landscape where the simple fact of being a woman in America statistically heightens the target on your back, with the shade of that target deepening further if you are not white, cisgender, or housed.
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