This Women's History Month, we have much upon which to reflect. The past two years have been particularly difficult for women and girls. The global pandemic caused huge shifts in gender disparities. Data indicates that women stand to lose much of their economic gains from the last century. Supporting women and girls must be included in Nevada's social and economic recovery plans because when they succeed, the state and the country succeeds.

The pandemic exposed serious social and economic opportunity gaps and revealed the reality that women still bear the burden of many domestic household duties, such as caregiving. Recent data from the Department of Labor Women's Bureau show that the U.S. is currently experiencing the lowest female labor force participation rate in more than three decades, having negative ripple effects on social mobility for families and economic growth for the nation. 

Relying on research to guide policy discussions has never been more important. As Nevada recovers from the pandemic, understanding how shifts in the economy, education, and workforce impacted women and girls are important for rebuilding. There is a growing trend to label the labor market shifts as the "Great Resignation" or "The Great Reevaluation". No matter what you call it, we need data to drive our understanding of this phenomenon to determine solutions policymakers and employers ought to consider. The need for rich dialogue and rigorous research has never been greater.

The Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) is Nevada's only statewide non-partisan center entirely dedicated to bettering the lives of women and girls through research and education. Earlier this month, we hosted our inaugural Women's Summit, focused on The Pandemic and The Path Forward. The one-day conference held at UNLV brought together women from diverse backgrounds and industries who served as speakers on Women in the Workforce, Health & Wellness, and Education Policy & Advocacy panels. 

One of the biggest takeaways for us was that if it feels to you like that glass ceiling seems higher and further away than ever, you're not alone. A few themes surfaced throughout the day as women shared their stories and expertise: 1) mostly everyone acknowledged that they are more aware of their mental health than in the past and see the need for greater access to services; 2) access to childcare matters; 3) rising tides raise all ships and women should support each other. 

During the conference, WRIN also released several status briefs on recent trends that found:

Women in the Workforce
-       In 2022, 1.8 million women in the U.S. have not returned to the workforce.
-       The unemployment rate for women of color is almost double the unemployment rate
        of white women.
-       These job losses largely comprise the education, health care, and leisure sectors. 

 Caregiving and Education
-       Women's labor force participation is closely tied to availability of childcare. The majority of women who left the workforce were mothers with children under the age of 13. In January, 4.4 million women lived in U.S. households with children ages 5-11 who did not have access to childcare. 
-       1 in 4 women said a lack of childcare played a role in becoming unemployed and drove them out of the workforce. In Nevada, WRIN found that childcare is more expensive than in-state college tuition.
-       44 percent of girls surveyed reported they took on more caregiving responsibilities while at home and many added that it interfered with their education. 

Violence Against Women and Girls
-       In the U.S. reported gender-based violence increased by 35 percent and the United Nations estimates that globally the increase is likely closer to 90 percent.

If we really believe that when women and girls succeed, Nevada and America succeed, then we should all be concerned with these trends. If we do not attempt to address these policy issues today, we are letting down a generation of women. 

Women are powerful. When we come together, we transform entire communities. Supporting women and girls is not just the right thing to do socially, it strengthens the economy, too, and will have lasting impacts for future generations to come.

As Nevada's leaders distribute American Rescue Plan dollars to support organizations paving the way for Nevada's road to recovery, investing in organizations that lift women and girls should be prioritized.

For more information about WRIN and to watch a recording of the Women's Summit please visit https://www.unlv.edu/wrin.

Dr. Caryll  Batt Dziedziak is the Director of WRIN and Lisa Levine is a longtime Board Member.