Why Idaho Needs to Stop Mistreating its Women

Equality has been a huge topic over the last few years, and in reality, has been something people have been fighting for for centuries. Ethical rights, sexual rights, gender rights, religious rights, and much more continue to be fought for daily across the world. Everyone wants to be treated equally and not feel like they are being undermined. One fight that continues is that of women. Women are still fighting for equal pay and opportunities in the works force, better education opportunities, other rights, and while progress has been made, the fight will never stop until things are equal. When it comes to women's rights and equality in the United States, which state does it best, which has a ways to go, and how does Idaho compare to them?

The Best and Worst States for Women's Equality

When it comes to women's rights, some states have made it a priority, while others have put it on the back burner and still have a ways to go. WalletHub recently released a list of the best and worst states for women's equality and used certain categories to do so, such as workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment. Using these criteria, it was determined that Hawaii is the best state for women's equality, with Alaska being second, and Maine rounding out the top three states for women's rights. The worst state according to the list is Idaho's neighbor to the south, Utah, with Texas being the second worst. 

Do Women Have Equal Rights in Idaho?

You may notice that the paragraph above didn't include the third worst state, and that is because Idaho comes in as the third worst state for women's equality. Idaho ranks 32 in workplace environment, 47 in education and health, and 42 in political empowerment. Idaho also has the fourth largest gap when it comes to hours worked between men and women and is the state with the second highest educational attainment gap among advanced degree holders. While the women of Idaho have come a long way, the opportunities for them here are not comparable to other states. 

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If you are a woman that feels like you aren't given fair opportunities in the workplace or on your educational journey, you might be right. The state of Idaho is failing its women, and it is time that the Gem State improves the equality of women in Idaho. To see the full list make sure to click the link above.