Statistics on Women

The following brief discussion offers suggestions for where to find varied
statistics on women, especially (though not only) women in the U.S.  The
discussion took place on WMST-L in August 2008.  For additional WMST-L files
available on the Web, see the WMST-L File Collection.

Does anyone know of a clearinghouse site that compiles or offers a 'fact
sheet' or 'quick view' of various statistics of all sorts in re women in
(US) society in one place?  
For example, number of women CEOs, number of women in Congress, number of
female governors, number of women in various college/graduate programs
(engineering, English, etc), number of women heading single-adult/parent
households, marriage/divorce rates, health insurance coverage rates, number
of women in teh military and in what positions, Title IX, etc, etc?  It'd be
helpful if that fact sheet had contrast numbers for men but not vital...

I thought NOW had a concise general sort of "intro" fact sheet but I can't
find it on their website (although I can locate a few fact sheets for
specific issues like employment which I could cobble together).

Thanks in advance
Milton Wendland
U of Kansas
milton  AT  ku.edu

I just sent a note to Milton regarding statistics on women.  A very good
source is the Statistical Abstract of the United States (issued every year)
- under the heading on Women in the index are many different subheadings
such as employment, education, labor force info, births, hospital use, etc.

Sincerely

Rita A. Marinko, Assoc. Prof.
Bibliographer:  Psychology/Sociology/Women's Studies/Sexual Diversity
Studies
Iowa State University
152 Parks Library
Ames, IA  50011
rmarinko  AT  iastate.edu

Dear Milton and others interested in stats. on women,

I maintain a list of links to stats on women at
http://womenst.library.wisc.edu/resources/research/stats.html . The page is
divided up into "megasites" for stats. in general, gender-specific stats.,
and stats. by topic or location.

One source that picks out stats. on a variety of subjects for U.S. women is
THE AMERICAN WOMAN ON THE WEB: A STATISTICAL PORTRAIT,  at
http://www.wrei.org/AmericanWomanWeb.htm , published by the Women's Research
& Education Network, but the last ed. was dated 2006. In terms of quick
facts on women & work, see the fact sheet from the AFL-CIO, at
http://www.dpeaflcio.org/programs/factsheets/fs_2008_Professional_Women.htm .

For international stats., use Gender Info 2007 from the UN, at
http://www.devinfo.info/genderinfo/ , though you'll have to tease out facts
by searching the various categories (education, families, health &
nutrition, public life/decisionmaking, and work). Also, Joni Seager's ATLAS
OF WOMEN IN THE WORLD is a *great* source for facts, presented in charts and
maps. The 3rd ed. came out in 2005, but I see that the 4th ed. is due out in
Nov., 2008.

Phyllis

****************************************************
Phyllis Holman Weisbard, Women's Studies Librarian
University of Wisconsin System
430 Memorial Library, 728 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
pweisbard  AT  library.wisc.edu
http://womenst.library.wisc.edu
****************************************************

I've found the Global Gender Gap report from 2007 very useful. It's available
at: http://www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/report2007.pdf

Though their focus is on international comparisons, they provide stats specific
to the US.
Good hunting!
Lenore

Lenore Kuo
Director, Feminist Public Policy Project
Former Nancy's Chair in Women's Studies
Mt. St. Vincent University
Halifax, NS