Key YWCA USA What Wmen Want 2012: A YWCA USA Natinal Survey f Pririties and Cncerns Summary f Findings frm a Survey amng Adult Wmen September 2012
YWCA 2 Key Findings While cnventinal wisdm suggests that the cuntry is mre plarized than ever, 80% f wmen agree n 80% f the issues. Regardless f plitical party, age, r educatin, wmen are united in their belief that it remains a serius time fr ur ecnmy, ur cuntry, and ur families. American wmen are multi-taskers and pssess a unique ability t wrry abut multiple cncerns. And, wmen expect ur cuntry s leaders t demnstrate a capacity t deal with a large number f cmpeting and interacting pririties. Persnal Cncerns Wmen express the mst intense wrry arund a cluster f issues: Scial Security being there when they retire; having a medical expense fr themselves r their family that they cannt affrd; having affrdable and secure health insurance fr their families; and a disappearing middle class. Wmen usually wrry abut persnal, micr-ecnmics rather than macrecnmics. This data shws that ur natin s prblems are s big that they see a strng interactin between their families persnal prblems and the cuntry s prblems. Indeed, we see that the tp three cncerns amng wmen are slidly at the intersectin f macr- and micr-ecnmics, as well as at the intersectin f persnal cncerns and the brader discussin f plicy in ur cuntry: Scial Security, health care, and the disappearing middle class. Persnal Cncerns Scial Security being there when yu retire Having a medical expense yu cannt affrd Having affrdable and secure health insurance A disappearing middle class Grwing ecnmic gap between rich/pr Keeping yur children safe frm drugs, etc Saving enugh fr a financially secure retirement Ttal family incme will nt be enugh Making ends meet Smene in yur husehld will be ut f a jb Being able t care fr parents as they age Getting a gd-paying jb Being paid less than a man fr the same jb Being able t affrd yur rent r mrtgage Being discriminated against Mrtgage prblems r yur hme lsing value Being able t mve up in jb Having affrdable and dependable child care 32% 32% 32% 27% 31% 34% 33% 38% 41% 50% 46% 49% 49% 51% 54% 50% 57% 66% -24% -20% -24% -17% -21% -25% -23% -26% -26% -40% -36% -41% -39% -40% -42% -39% -48% -59% 47% 46% 45% 44% 41% 41% 40% 37% 34% 32% 31% 31% 31% 28% 26% 24% 20% 17% 67% 67% 67% 70% 66% 64% 65% 61% 59% 48% 53% 51% 50% 48% 45% 48% 39% 30% Very Smewhat Nt at all Nt wrried *Split sample questins
YWCA 3 Tw-thirds f wmen say they wrry abut Scial Security being there when they retire (67% very/smewhat wrried, 47% very wrried), having a medical expense that they can t affrd (67% very/smewhat wrried, 46% very wrried), and having affrdable health insurance (67% very/smewhat wrried, 45% very wrried). They then lk externally and express cncern abut the disappearing middle class (70% very/smewhat wrried, 44% very wrried), which perhaps influences their cncerns arund being able t affrd retirement and health care. Wmen tend t wrry mre abut majr ecnmic cncerns rather than day-t-day prblems. Wmen tend t wrry less abut having affrdable and dependable childcare (30% wrried, 17% very wrried), althugh this cncern is higher amng mthers (46% wrried verall, 30% very wrried). Other issues that wmen wrry abut with less intensity include mrtgage prblems r their hmes lsing value (48% wrried, 24% very wrried), being able t mve up in their jb r line f wrk (39% wrried, 20% very wrried), being able t affrd their rent r mrtgage (48% wrried, 28% very wrried), and being discriminated against (45% wrried, 26% very wrried). In each f these instances, verall wrry (very and smewhat wrried) drps belw 50%, thugh these are still imprtant issues. The mst vulnerable carry the greatest burdens wmen wh are mre likely than mst t wrry include parents with children under 18 living at hme, thse under the age f 50, and part-time wrkers. These demgraphic grups cntain sme f the mst vulnerable individuals, bth ecnmically and scially. Health care remains a majr cncern fr wmen, bth persnally and at the plicy level. Access t health care is seen as bth a majr vulnerability and a cncern, as well as ne f the mst imprtant public health issues facing wmen tday. Wmen cntinue t see access, affrdability, and quality as majr issues. Wmen view health care as less f a plitical issue and mre f a persnal issue. Persnal wrries abut retirement savings and access t affrdable health care are nt new cncerns fr wmen. In the YWCA s 2008 What Wmen Want survey, 70% f wmen said that a lack f retirement savings wuld be a majr bstacle t prgress fr wmen like them in the next 10 years. Abut tw-thirds (68%) said that a majr illness r medical expense wuld be a majr bstacle.
YWCA 4 Hardships The ecnmic dwnturn cntinues t lm ver wmen, and its cnsequences are writ large in their cncerns. Ntably, 41% f wmen say they have been the primary breadwinner in their hme in the last fur years. Wmen reprt that they have experienced hardships ranging frm pstpning medical care t lsing a jb r falling behind in rent r mrtgage payments. Hwever, as we saw earlier in their persnal cncerns, even wmen wh have nt directly experienced hardships are wrried abut these issues. Mst imprtantly, wmen did nt have t have persnally experienced a particular hardship directly t be wrried abut it. The mst cmmnly cited hardships include nt getting r pstpning medical care due t a lack f mney r insurance, f which ne-third (33%) have experienced r have had a member f their husehld experience in the last tw years. Similarly, 32% reprted a reductin in their hurs, wages r tips. Nearly ne-quarter (24%) had a jb lss in their husehld in the past tw years. Racial Differences in Wmen s Persnal Cncerns and Experiences Wmen f different races experience life in the U.S. smewhat differently. African Americans, Latinas, and Asian/Pacific Islander wmen are mre likely t experience racial r ethnic discriminatin. Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American wmen experience mre genderbased prejudice. They als express different wrries and have experienced different hardships. African American wmen tend t wrry abut the ecnmy, and are mre likely t have experienced hur, wage, r tip reductins (34% have experienced in the last tw years). Latinas wrry mre abut health care, pssibly because they are the mst likely t have nt received r have pstpned medical care due t a lack f mney r insurance. Additinally, Latinas are mre likely than their cunterparts t experience hardships verall. Hispanic wmen were mre likely than mst t have experienced five f the seven hardships queried, with their tp hardships being nt getting medical care (43%) and having their wages, hurs r tips reduced (42%). Asian/Pacific Islander wmen wrry mst abut the ecnmic gap (41% very wrried), the disappearing middle class (36% very wrried), and making ends meet (39% very wrried). They are the mst likely t have experienced wage reductins (38% have experienced in the past tw years). Like Latinas, Native American wmen are cncerned abut health care, and they als have nt gtten r have pstpned the care they need because f finances r insurance status. Native Americans were mst likely t nt receive r pstpne medical care (36%), fllwed by having their hurs, wages r tips reduced (32%).
YWCA 5 Experiences with Prejudice r Discriminatin Yes, have experienced discriminatin because (f) All Wmen African American Latinas Asian/Pacific Islander* Native American* Yu are a wman 32% 40% 27% 43% 42% Yur race r ethnicity 25% 56% 44% 52% 35% Yur physical appearance 19% 32% 14% 14% 22% Yur age 17% 24% 13% 12% 20% Yur religin 12% 10% 6% 7% 18% Yur sexual rientatin 7% 17% 4% 5% 12% Slving the Ecnmic Crisis Wmen want the private sectr especially small business and gvernment at all levels t help slve the cuntry s ecnmic prblems. When asked which entity has the greatest ability t spur grwth in the ecnmy, mre wmen vlunteer all f the abve as a respnse than wmen wh chse any ne ptin (30% all f the abve). Abut ne in five (22%) see a rle fr small business, while ne-third see a rle fr gvernment state and lcal gvernments (12%), Cngress (11%), r the president (nine percent). Six percent say majr crpratins, while tw percent say Wall Street. In general, wmen expect ur elected fficials and ecnmic institutins t be able t address the myriad f cncerns and pririties wmen are facing. Which Has Greatest Ability t Spur Ecnmic Grwth? Small business (22%) 14% 14% 6% 12% State and lcal gvernment (12%) 15% 13% Cngress (11%) 11% 14% 6% 12% The President (9%) 12% 6% Majr Crpratins (6%) 9% 6% 1% 5% 3% Wall Street (2%) 3% 3% All f the abve (30%) 18% 19% 19% 17% 21% 21% 27% 28% 28% Native American Asia Pacific Islander Latina African American
YWCA 6 The 2012 Presidential Electin In the presidential electin, wmen prefer President Barack Obama t Gvernr Mitt Rmney. African Americans and Latinas in particular favr the president by wide margins. Party identificatin drives wmen s attitudes in the presidential cntest: Demcrats verwhelmingly supprt President Obama (by an 83 pint margin), while Republicans favr Gvernr Rmney by similarly immense margins (82 pints in favr f Gvernr Rmney). Hwever, Demcratic wmen shw mre intensity fr their candidate than Republican wmen 75% f Demcrats supprt Obama strngly, cmpared t 58% f Republicans wh supprt Rmney strngly. Pririties fr Our Leaders Wmen s cncerns abut the ecnmy translate int the pririties they hpe t see ur leaders tackle, and wmen maintain their ability t multi-task by embracing many pririties at nce. An verwhelming majrity want t see the next president and Cngress address the financial crisis in the U.S., unemplyment, and Medicare and Scial Security. Many news reprts indicate the cuntry is plarized, but 80% f wmen agree n 80% f the pririties and issues. T wmen, the financial crisis in the U.S. is a tp pririty; 82% say this shuld be a tp pririty fr the next president and fr Cngress. Three-quarters believe that Medicare and Scial Security (75% tp pririty), and that unemplyment including layffs and jbs sent verseas (74% tp pririty) shuld be a tp pririty. Cmparing this year s tp pririties amng wmen t their pririties in the YWCA s What Wmen Want 2008, we see sme similarities. In 2008, wmen culd nly indicate if they thught an issue shuld be a tp pririty, a lwer pririty, r nt a pririty. This year, they culd distinguish between the tp pririties, middle pririties, lwer pririties and issues they thught were nt a pririty. The financial crisis (92% tp pririty in 2008) and unemplyment (84% tp pririty in 2008) were als tp cncerns fr the next president and Cngress during the last presidential electin cycle. Health care refrm resnated in 2008 as well (79% tp pririty in 2008), althugh f curse this was befre the Affrdable Care Act was cnceived and signed in t law. It is significant that, fur years later, wmen still want health care refrm t be a tp pririty fr ur leaders.
YWCA 7 Pririties fr the Next President and Cngress Tp Pririty All Wmen African American Latinas Asian/Pacific Islander Native American The financial crisis in the U.S. 82% 76% 78% 73% 80% Medicare and Scial Security 75% 78% 79% 76% 86% Unemplyment including layffs and jbs sent verseas 74% 76% 76% 66% 68% Gvernment spending 69% 49% 59% 79% 67% The budget deficit 69% 68% 66% 61% 62% Quality and cst f educatin 66% 77% 72% 70% 62% Health care refrm 64% 69% 65% 65% 67% Terrrism and natinal security 64% 69% 57% 53% 65% Taxes 57% 59% 61% 52% 53% Vilence against wmen in the U.S. 57% 72% 64% 55% 56% Supprts fr small business 50% 49% 46% 45% 49% Reprductive health care* 40% 55% 41% 41% 34% Immigratin 38% 32% 47% 33% 35% Abrtin* 33% 37% 26% 24% 31% *split sample questin
YWCA 8 Cngressinal Actin Wmen als want t see Cngress take actin n civil rights and ecnmic issues. Nt surprisingly, the issues that directly impact wmen, preventing vilence against wmen and equal pay, earn the highest levels f intense agreement. But wmen als express brad and deep supprt fr Cngress taking multiple actins t extend middle class tax cuts, pass hate crimes legislatin, expand assistance fr small businesses and pass cmprehensive immigratin refrm. The latter is ne f the issues that is mst plarized by partisan lines. Issues Cngress Shuld Take Actin On Renew VAWA* Strengthen equal pay laws fr wmen* Renew VAWA including lesbians and immigrants* Pass hate crimes legislatin* Extend tax cuts fr the mdidle class* Pass legislatin t end racial prfiling* Cmprehensive immigratin refrm including vilence prtectins* Expand lans/assistance fr small business* Cmprehensive immigratin refrm* 74% 72% 69% 68% 64% 59% 55% 55% 45% 89% 88% 84% 85% 85% 83% 83% 87% 72% *split sample questin Agree strngly/smewhat Agree strngly Wmen shw strng supprt fr renewing the Vilence Against Wmen Act. We fund that wmen express similar levels f agreement tward renewing the Vilence Against Wmen Act (69% strngly agree, 84% agree verall) and withut a reference t the prvisins t include prtectins fr lesbians and immigrant wmen (74% strngly agree, 89% agree verall). Regardless f their plitical affiliatin, three-quarters r mre wmen agree that Cngress shuld take actin n this issue. Nearly three in fur wmen strngly agree that Cngress shuld take actin n strengthening equal pay laws fr wmen (72% strngly agree, 88% agree verall). Equal pay is anther issue that crsses party lines: 95% f Demcrats, 77% f Republicans, and 85% f Independents agree that Cngress shuld take actin n this issue. Discriminatin is a majr issue fr wmen, and it manifests itself nt nly in supprt fr equal pay but als in supprt fr hate crimes legislatin. There is als brad and deep
YWCA 9 supprt fr passing hate crimes legislatin. When passing hate crimes legislatin is tied t prtecting peple frm becming targets based n race, sex, gender, religin, ethnicity, age, disability r sexual rientatin (68% agree strngly, 85% agree verall), it utperfrms a less specific plicy gal f passing legislatin t end racial prfiling, reduce hate crimes and increase educatin n racism (59% agree strngly, 83% agree verall). Being mre specific abut the actual plicy and thse impacted helps t build supprt amng wmen fr passing hate crimes legislatin. Regarding actins Cngress culd take t stimulate the ecnmy, wmen shw mre intense enthusiasm fr extending tax cuts fr the middle class (64% strngly agree, 85% agree verall) than they d fr expanding lans and assistance fr small business (55% strngly agree, 87% agree verall), thugh vast majrities f every grup supprt bth. Health Care In this cuntry, wmen are 80% f health care decisin-makers. Wmen als make up 80% f the vters wh say that psitins n health care are a majr criteria in hw they vte. Wmen s tp public health cncerns reflect their persnal cncerns arund health care: ne f the tw mst imprtant issues fr a third f wmen is access t affrdable, quality health care, including mental health care (29% say this is ne f the tw mst imprtant public health issues fr wmen). Screening fr breast cancer and ther cancers (21%), as well as uninsured wmen (20%) are als imprtant health issues fr wmen. Racial Differences in Attitudes tward Pririties and Plicies Again, race influences wmen s perspectives. African American (77% think educatin shuld be a pririty); Latina (72%), and Asian/Pacific Islander wmen (70%) want t see educatin as mre f a pririty. Latinas are mre likely than thers t say that immigratin shuld be a tp pririty and they shw strnger supprt fr Cngress taking actin n issues that impact immigrant ppulatins. They als are the mst likely t say that the number f wmen withut health insurance is a tp health issue, reflecting their persnal anxiety abut the issue. Cmpared t ther races, Asian/Pacific Islander wmen have mre f a fcus n Cngress priritizing gvernment spending (79% say it shuld be a tp pririty fr Cngress, the highest f any f the pririties tested). African American and Latina wmen shw mre intensity than thers arund strengthening equal pay. Native American wmen are mre engaged than wmen f ther races n Cngress passing hate crimes legislatin (74% strngly agree) and they are even mre likely than ther subgrups t say that access t health care is a tp public health issue fr wmen when it includes mental health care.
YWCA 10 Even thugh there is sme divergence n pririties fr wmen f different races, Medicare and Scial Security is at r near the tp f wmen s pririties acrss racial subgrups. Older Latinas (ver age 50) and African American wmen are mre cncerned with Medicare and Scial Security than their yunger cunterparts. Cnclusins It may seem like the cuntry is deeply divided, but 80% f wmen agree n 80% f the pririties and issues. In this perid f sluggish ecnmic recvery and heightened awareness as the electins apprach, wmen say that the ecnmy and jbs are the tp prblem, but they als have a truly brad agenda fr their elected fficials. Wmen want their elected fficials t fcus n many issues that have affected them, culd affect them and their families and that affect their cmmunities. Wmen are great multi-taskers and wrry abut many issues. Wmen hpe t see ur leaders intervene t alleviate the financial crisis, strengthen Medicare and Scial Security, and curtail unemplyment. These issues manifest themselves in wmen s wrries abut Scial Security s slvency, health care expenses and the disappearing middle class. Health care remains bth a persnal cncern and a plicy pririty. Access t affrdable, quality health care is the mst imprtant public health plicy facing wmen tday. Wmen will supprt the next president and Cngress if they shw leadership n equal pay; prtecting wmen frm vilence; defending peple frm crimes based n their race, sex, gender, religin, ethnicity, age, disability r sexual rientatin; and extending tax cuts fr the middle class. When it cmes t the fixing ecnmy, wmen see a rle fr bth the private sectr and all levels f the public sectr frm the president t lcal gvernments.
YWCA 11 Methdlgy Lake Research Partners and the plling cmpany, inc./wmantrend designed and administered this survey, which was cnducted by telephne using prfessinal interviewers. The survey reached a ttal f 1,430 adult wmen natinwide, with versamples f 100 African American wmen, 100 Latinas, 100 Asian/Pacific Islander wmen, and 100 Native American wmen. The base sample cnsisted f 1,000 interviews, which included interviews via 200 cell phnes. The survey was cnducted frm August 27 t September 4, 2012. Data in the base sample were weighted slightly by race, age, educatinal attainment, party identificatin, and regin t reflect the attributes f the actual ppulatin. Data in the African American versample were weighted slightly by age; the Latina versample by age, regin, and educatinal attainment; the Asian/Pacific Islander versample by age, regin, and educatinal attainment; and the Native American versample by age and regin. The margin f errr fr the verall survey is +/- 2.6%. Abut the YWCA USA The YWCA is the vice fr every wman. Fr ver a century, the YWCA has spken ut and taken actin n behalf f wmen and girls. The YWCA is dedicated t eliminating racism, empwering wmen and prmting peace, justice, freedm and dignity fr all. Over 2 millin peple participate each year in YWCA prgrams at mre than 1,300 lcatins acrss the U.S. Wrldwide, the YWCA serves mre than 25 millin wmen and girls in 125 cuntries. Fr mre infrmatin, visit www.ywca.rg.
YWCA 12 YWCA USA THANKS ITS 2012 SURVEY SPONSORS Susan Packard Orr, Telsa Sftware United Natins Fundatin, Girl Up! Francie and Jhn Pepper