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Mount Saint Mary’s released the 13th edition of the Report of the Status of Women and Girls in California™ to a sold-out audience at the Skirball Cultural Center on March 22.

More than 600 women leaders gathered to learn the data from this year’s report, “The Cost of Being a Woman: Solutions for Economic Equity,” hear from inspiring women leaders and network with like-minded peers.

Published annually by the Center for Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, this report is the most authoritative research on issues impacting women and girls in California, vital for informing public policy and funding priorities statewide.

After an energizing breakfast, the event started with a welcome from Nicole Haggard, director of the Center for the Advancement of Women, who reflected on how inspired she was after learning about the persistent gender earnings gap highlighted in last year’s report.

“When I was invited to become director of the Center for the Advancement of Women, I knew that the wage gap and its many consequences would be the driving force for all my work,” said Haggard. “That is why we are talking about the Cost of Being a Woman today — because there is a ripple effect that impacts healthcare, beauty standards, lack of access to financial resources, invisible domestic labor and unbalanced care work.” In closing, she called for every guest to take a data point that resonated with them and take one step to address it.

Unable to attend in person, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris sent a message to commemorate the event and recognize the report’s importance to the state and national government. “Remember when we lift up the economic status of women, all of society benefits,” she wrote in her message, which Haggard shared.

Mount President Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD, took the stage to discuss the data, which explores the underlying causes of persistent financial inequalities for women and highlights opportunities for lasting change to create a more equitable future in California.

“In 2012, we created this Report because, as the only women’s university in Los Angeles, we have an inherent interest in the forces that shape women’s lives,” said McElaney-Johnson. “Now in our thirteenth year, the Report continues to shine a light on gender inequities wherever they persist in our state and reminds us that by working together, we can find solutions.”

Highlights from the 2024 Report

Some key findings from this year’s research reveal that:

• We still have work to do on our gender earnings gap. Median earnings data reveal that California women earn 89% of what all men earn for full-time work – an increase of 5% over the past decade.
• The gap is greater for Black and Latina women. Over a 40-year career, compared to White men, White women experience an average earning loss of $731,000; Asian women, $737,000; Black women, $1.6 million; and $2.1 million for Latinas.   
• The real cost of living in California impacts single women the greatest. More than 1 in 3 households statewide do not earn sufficient income to meet basic needs. For households headed by single mothers with children under six, this increases to 80% compared to 28% of married couples. 
• Parents and guardians open fewer “529” tuition savings plans for girls than boys, despite women now making up 60% of college graduates.
• Nationally, medical treatment costs are higher for women and girls than men and boys. Women pay 30% more out of pocket to cover healthcare expenses compared with men.

“The bottom line is that the cost of being a woman is high,” McElaney-Johnson said before inviting everyone to share the report’s thought-provoking data with their personal and professional networks.

Following the data reveal, Alex Cohen, political anchor for Spectrum News One, moderated two panels with powerhouse speakers, including:

• Gayle Goldin, deputy director of the Women’s Bureau, US Department of Labor;
• Holly Martinez, executive director, CA Commission on the Status of Women and Girls;
• Zakiya Thomas, president and CEO, ERA Coalition & The Fund for Women’s Equality;
• Judy Belk, writer and philanthropic advisor;
• Nancy O’Reilly, PsyD, philanthropist, author, and founder of Women Connect4Good;
• Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, president and co-founder of Known and Inaugural Member of US Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity;
• Samantha Vient, CFP, financial advisor and senior financial planner, Ellevest Wealth Management.

In another discussion, New York Times best-selling author Eve Rodsky and Los Angeles Supervisor Holly Mitchell discussed the unpaid, unrecognized work — "invisible labor” — women undertake at home and work. The final speaker was Pooja Lakshmin, MD, psychiatrist and best-selling author of Real Self Care. 

Guests were invited to take action through numerous activations, from opening an investment account with Ellevest to encouraging people to urge their legislators to vote in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment, among other empowering activities.