Dallas Women's Foundation Releases Economic Issues for Women in Texas 2017 Report at Press Conference and Briefing

In separate events in Dallas and Houston hosted at Texas Woman's University (TWU) campuses, DWF President and CEO Roslyn Dawson Thompson and TWU Chancellor Carine Feyten led panel discussions of the jointly sponsored new research, and discussed steps that can be taken to address the economic challenges outlined in the report. 

Thompson said, "Of the 14 million females in Texas, 17 percent – or 2.89 million – live in poverty, compared to 14 percent of men and boys. Our goal is that this study will lay out the challenges, solutions and what we've accomplished so far in education, child care, health insurance and housing, so that community leaders, officials, nonprofit organizations, businesses and donors will work together to improve economic security for Texas women."

Education: A Pathway to Economic Security
Education is a pathway to economic security, yet financial insecurity creates challenges that make it less likely for low-income female students to complete a higher education degree or credential.

Findings:

• Hispanic women (25 percent) and Black women (34 percent) have much lower rates of higher education attainment than White (55 percent) or Asian (75 percent) women.
• Texas women earn more with every step up in their education. The median earnings of women with a bachelor's degree are $17,000 higher than women with some college or an associate's degree. However, women with a bachelor's still earn $20,000 less than Texas men with a bachelor's degree.
• A third of jobs are "middle-skill," requiring some postsecondary training, such as a certificate or industry credential, but not necessarily a bachelors' degree. Twenty-two percent of Texas women have some college education, but no degree.

Recommendations:

• Dual enrollment courses in high school, so students can also earn college credit.
• Help women get training for middle-skill jobs where they will earn more than minimum wage.

Child Care: A Critical Work Support for Families
The average yearly cost of full-time child care in Texas is between $7,000 to $9,000—nearly the average annual cost of college in Texas. Access to child care helps women improve their employment, wages, job stability and advancement opportunities.

Findings:

• 62 percent of Texas moms are in the paid labor force.
• The majority of Texas children are part of families where both parents work outside the home, or one parent if in a single-parent family. This describes 59 percent (1.3 million) of children under age 6, and 62 percent (1.7 million) of children ages 6 to 12.
• Fewer than 10 percent of eligible children receive child-care subsidies.

Recommendations:

• State legislators can build off of existing Pre-K programs and provide additional funding to support full-day programs.
• Texas can increase the amount of funding available to subsidize child-care costs for those who qualify.
• Employers can institute family-friendly policies and work options, such as paid family leave, dependent care reimbursement accounts, flex time, telecommuting and greater employee choice in managing work hours.

Health Insurance: A Financial Shield for the Unexpected
About 16 percent (2.2 million) women and girls in Texas do not have health insurance.

Findings:

• In Texas, 2.2 million women and girls (16 percent) are effectively left out of the health care system because they do not have health insurance, which puts their health and their family's financial security at risk.
• From 2013 to 2015, the female uninsured rate in Texas decreased by five percentage points, from 21 to 16 percent. The male uninsured rate also decreased by five percentage points in Texas, from 23 to 18 percent.

Recommendations:

• State legislators can craft a health insurance option that closes the Coverage Gap for low-income adult women.
• Businesses and state legislators can make paid sick leave an earned benefit that is available to more working women.

Housing: The Anchor of Economic Security
For most women, housing represents the single largest cost in their budgets. When women have access to affordable housing, they have more resources for investment in education, child care and health insurance, but that is not the case in the state.

Findings:

• The first is a situation called housing cost burdened, which disproportionately impacts single women and women of color. The rule of thumb for housing costs being too high is when a household spends 30 percent or more of its income on housing. About 45 percent of all female headed families are housing cost burdened compared to 31 percent of male headed families.
• Women are at higher risk for eviction than men.

Recommendations:

• State legislators can allow cities to pass local ordinances that protect low-income renters who use vouchers – the vast majority of whom are women – from housing discrimination.
• Local governments should invest in legal services for women and families facing eviction.

The study was produced by Dallas Women's Foundation, authored by Center for Public Policy Priorities and supported by Texas Woman's University. Sources include U.S. Census Bureau data, federal and state agency data and academic research.

To see the full report and findings for each building block, visit https://www.dallaswomensfdn.org/economicissues

Dallas Women's Foundation is the largest regional women's fund in the world. With the support of its donors, the Foundation unlocks resources to advance women's economic security and women's leadership through research, grantmaking and advocacy. The Foundation's work improves education and quality of life, gives voice to issues affecting women and girls, and cultivates women leaders for the future. Since its founding in 1985, Dallas Women's Foundation has granted more than $32 million total, and over $4.2 million annually to help create opportunities and solve issues for women and girls. Visit www.dallaswomensfdn.org.

SOURCE Dallas Women’s Foundation

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