Status of women: Florida earns a D

By Brenda Tate, president of the Women’s Foundation of Southwest Florida

What happened when you came home from school with a low grade on your report card? Many of us experienced a team of nurturing parents, teachers, and tutors supporting us to get our grades back on track. Everyone assured us we could do better if we tried a little harder, even if we delayed the inevitable by hiding our report card in the freezer like Beverly Cleary’s beloved 8-year-old fictional character, Ramona Quimby.

“The Status of Women in the States 2015” was just released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The report analyzes data related to women’s population, diversity, achievement, autonomy, employment, income, health and well-being. Florida received a disappointing D.