The Status of Women and Girls in Eastern Connecticut

Published by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut and DataHaven, this Report on The Status of Women and Girls in Eastern Connecticut is designed to be a platform for action to increase opportunity, access and equity for women and girls in Eastern Connecticut. Based on extensive data analysis, including data from the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey, as well as a review of qualitative information about the region, the report reviews key topics such as demographics, economic security, education, health and well-being, and community leadership.

A summary version of the report is posted on the CFECT website.

Key findings include:

• The population of women ages 65 and up is projected to grow significantly over the next decade.
• Young women are achieving in school, but greater educational attainment has yet to translate to economic equality.
• Positive educational outcomes and economic equality are further out of reach for women of color.
• Many occupations remain segregated by gender, and women make up a majority of parttime workers.
• Women are at greater risk of financial insecurity, with single mothers at the greatest risk.
• Overall, women in Eastern Connecticut have significantly better birth outcomes than the rest of the state, yet disparities exist.
• The opioid epidemic continues to ravage our communities, with deaths of women in 2016 more than double those of 2012.
• Young women are at heightened risk for many mental health conditions.
• Violence against women continues to be a major public health problem.