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Lack of affordable childcare is one of the main issues driving women's lifelong inequality, according to a report presented Tuesday to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, which calls for making child care more affordable and accessible.
Seven in 10 women had delayed or foregone employment opportunities because of childcare challenges, according to the countywide study, the first of its kind, conducted by the Commission on the Status of Women, which advises the Board on ways to improve the quality of life for all women in San Mateo County.
Reducing the cost of quality child care is one of the many recommendations in the report Financing the Future, a call to action to invest in women's economic health.
This analysis recommends addressing the root causes of economic inequality—such as inadequate child care, wage inequality, and the wealth gap—to create a more equitable and prosperous future for all residents.
“As the Board’s liaison to the Commission on the Status of Women, I am very proud of the expertise, dedication and hard work that went into what we believe is the first comprehensive study of the status of women in San Mateo County. I am committed to leveraging these findings and recommendations to advance women’s economic equality and thereby improve our entire community,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo.
To gain new insight into women's economic health, the Commission conducted in-person surveys and interviews, met with child care providers and community organizations, gathered input at conferences and other meetings, and reviewed data and reports from a variety of sources.
What they found is that despite progress in recent decades, women's overall "economic health" still lags behind that of men. For every dollar of wealth owned by a single man, for example, single women own 82 cents, while single African-American and Latina women own just 9 cents.
"Helping women improve their economic status benefits not only women and children, but also men, since everyone can benefit from the same programs," explained Susan Kokores, chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.
The study found three key factors driving the wealth gap: Low wages, where women, especially single mothers and women of color, are concentrated in low-paying jobs and earn less than men; Caregiver penalty: The burden of family care falls disproportionately on women, resulting in career interruptions that impact their lifelong financial stability.
There is also a lack of knowledge and confidence, as women are more risk-averse and less likely to invest and generate wealth.
The cost of living in San Mateo County is so high that the minimum wage for a family with two children and one full-time working adult is $61.62 per hour, according to the study. However, the average salary for a 35-year-old woman in San Mateo is $17.31, or $36,000 annually.
In light of this, the Commission on the Status of Women's recommendations include creating and investing in a Women and Children's Office as a centralized office to coordinate efforts related to child care, wage equity, and financial education.
Likewise, the creation of a “Plan for Child Care in San Mateo County,” where there is a shortage of 2,829 early educators and more than 17,000 child care spaces.
This includes promoting wage equity, supporting guaranteed basic income programs, expanding financial literacy training and strengthening career pathways, and promoting savings programs like CalSavers and CalKids to all San Mateo County residents, which will help them build wealth.
"The data collected and analyzed by the commission includes all districts and represents the different phases of women's financial lives: high school students, working women, single mothers, caregivers, stay-at-home mothers, seniors, widows, to name a few," said Ann Girard, vice chair of the commission.
She added that the recommendations provided are tailored to the immediate situation in San Mateo County with the goal of supporting the financial growth and education of all women.
"The more than 600 survey participants, both men and women, emphasized the importance of women's economic empowerment as an important element leading to an overall stable economy," she stressed.
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