Girls and boys are nearly equally likely to take courses in mathematics and science in high school.
Women are going to college in record numbers and now outnumber men on college campuses. Women were 56% of undergraduates in 2000 up from 42% in 1970 and 58% of graduate students in 2000 up from 39% in 1970.
The majority of students in professional degree programs (such as medicine, dentistry and law) are still men, but women have made dramatic gains. The proportion of women in these programs increased from 9% in 1970 to 47% in 2000.
By 2003, 51% of women ages 18-24 had entered or completed college compared with 41% of young men.
Female college students are earning degrees in all fields of study, including fields historically dominated by men. In 1970-71, women earned 29% of the undergraduate degrees in biology and 14% of the degrees in the other physical sciences. In 2001-02, women earned over 60% of the degrees in biology and 42% of the degrees in the other physical sciences. In 2001-02, women earned 47% of the undergraduate degrees in mathematics, 50% of the degrees in business and 28% of the degrees in computer science.
Gains in Education -- Celebrate!!
Gaps in Earnings and Financial Security
Women's educational gains have yet to translate into full equity in pay -- even for college educated women who work full time. The median salary for a college educated women in the United States is $44,200 a year compared to $61,800 for college educated male workers -- a difference of $17,600.
Overall, the median earnings for women in 2003 was $30,733 and the median earnings for men was $40,683 for an earnings ratio of 75.5%.
Women remain segregated in traditionally female, mostly low paying jobs. For example women make up 97% of secretaries and administrative assistants, 92% of receptionists, 90% of maids and housekeepers, 89% of nursing aides, and 75% of cashiers.
Women remain underrepresented in many high status, high paying occupations. For example, women represent only 23% of all chief executives, 22% of network and data analysts, 16% of chief engineers.
Worldwide, women earn on average slightly more than 50% of what men earn.
A majority of mothers continue working even while they have young children. 76% of mothers work for pay and 39% work 40 hours per week, year-round.
The typical caregiver for the disabled and elderly is a married women in her mid-forties to mid-fifties who is employed full time and also spends an average of 20 hours a week on care-giving.
Women who are not currently married are much more likely than married women and men to be poor. 28.8% of women aged 65 and older who are not married have incomes at or below 125% of the poverty line.
Women rely more on Social Security Income than men. About 44% of all nonmarried women 65 and older get 90% or more of their income from Social Security compared to 35% of men.
