How Florida is failing women
The D- grade was issued through a report that was commissioned by Florida Women’s Funding Alliance (part of the Florida Philanthropic Network) and released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The report shows that there are now more women in Florida living in poverty than there were in 2004.
The worst Florida county is Collier, yes, the same county in which Naples, known for high-end shopping and golf courses, resides. In Collier, 12.7 percent of women age 18 and older are living below poverty, compared to 10.8 percent of men. Women of color in Collier have the highest rate of poverty. In addition, women are more likely than men to be homeless, unemployed or underemployed, experience violence, live in substandard housing, and have inadequate health care.
Pay gap
There is another problem in Florida that contributes to the poverty of women. The pay gap between men and women is so large that if women were paid the same as men, it would decrease the poverty rate for women by 57.3 percent.
Organizations such as The Women’s Foundation of Collier County are concerned with the situation and working towards solutions that will create a more stable future for women and children in Collier County.
Read more at www.naplesnews.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/12/13/commentary-foundation-builds-future-local-women/95305022/
