Women make up 46 percent of the Texas workforce, with women-owned businesses employing 1 million people and generating $42 billion in wages. Even still, the state ranks No. 47 nationally when it comes to women’s economic security.
These are among the key findings Texas Women’s Foundation revealed at its annual Economic Issues for Women luncheon, held Nov. 21 at Texas Woman’s University. TWU President Carine M. Feyten opened the program, which emphasized a decade of efforts to address ongoing economic barriers.
Texas Women’s Foundation leverages its research to guide its strategic initiatives and advocacy, aiming to create equitable opportunities for women and families. Karen Hughes White, the nonprofit’s CEO, was joined by Coda Rayo-Garza from Every Texan in presenting the latest stats.
Key issues identified included pay equity, affordable childcare, stable housing, healthcare access, and reproductive care. Women contribute billions annually to various sectors, and by 2040, projections suggest they will represent a significant portion of Texas’s population, reaching 18.5 million.
Since 2012, more than one million women have entered the workforce, particularly in education, healthcare, and social services. However, their representation in management and executive roles has only increased by 3 percent over the past decade.
Ongoing struggles persist when it comes to gender wage disparity. The wage gap costs Texas more than $47 billion annually in lost earnings and productivity, with women holding graduate degrees earning $35,000 less than their male counterparts. Closing this gap could generate an economic impact of $21.5 billion.
Additional highlighted challenges included the high cost of childcare, with full-time infant care averaging $9,360 annually, and low enrollment rates in pre-K programs, which limits women’s workforce participation. One in four working women in Texas lacks health insurance, and there is a significant shortage of affordable housing units.
“If the group that assembled here today representing a lot of different corporations and organizations is any indication, there is a hunger for this data and a real need for it to be able to make change,” White, said.
She also addressed the forthcoming 89th session of the Texas Legislature. “I think that’s a call for all of us who care about women’s issues to get educated about what our representatives are engaging in and talking about,” she said.
“Be ready to advocate and be ready to fight for women in Texas,” White added. “We’re going to be identifying legislative priorities for women and tracking the legislation that ties to those priorities in a way that will be easy for people to find and engage in so that we can make sure that we’ll be publicizing that.”
Authors
Bridget Reis
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