By Daily Press staff
Santa Monica women possess similar educational levels to men, yet have much lower median incomes and exhibit significantly higher poverty levels with advancing age, according to a draft report by the Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women.
The report, believed to be the first city-sponsored study of Santa Monica girls and women, will be presented on April 28 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth St.
In order to add context to the 22 statistical observations contained in the draft report, the commission is inviting input from the City Council, city agencies, service providers, educators, community activists and other groups. The final report is scheduled to be presented to the City Council in May.
The Commission on the Status of Women hopes the report can be used as a tool to identify areas of concern, recommend the means to address those concerns, highlight areas for further investigation and serve as a benchmark for future studies.
Data presented in the report was gathered primarily from published secondary sources and supplemented by information from agencies and community organizations serving groups for whom data has not typically been collected. Among the report’s findings: ■ Women comprise 47 percent of the Santa Monica labor force, as well as 47 percent of the unemployed labor force. Employed women residing in Santa Monica are heavily represented in traditionally “female” occupations. Twenty-nine percent of the city’s labor force is self-employed. ■ The median income of women in Santa Monica is about $32,000, compared with $51,000 for men. Only 30 percent of residents who earn more than $55,000 per year are women with greater discrepancies in earnings as earnings increase. ■On any given day, more than half of the mothers in Santa Monica require some form of childcare. Residents’ demand for childcare is not met by the existing supply of childcare centers in Santa Monica. ■Some 56 percent of Santa Monica’s poor are women. In addition, women comprise 63 percent of the poor population 55 years old or older, and that percentage increases rapidly with age. Women residents below the poverty line also are disproportionately represented in the 18-24 age range. ■Of Santa Monica residents receiving public assistance, the largest percentage is women. Sixty-five percent of the Santa Monica residents receiving government subsidized in-home living assistance are women. Ninety-five percent of the residents receiving CalWorks, the state’s temporary assistance to needy single-parent households, are female.
The Commission on the Status of Women, established in 1981, is charged with working to eliminate inequality between the sexes in all areas of life including employment, health, education, political life and law enforcement. The commission is comprised of nine residents appointed by the City Council. The public is invited to provide input and hear further recommendations by the Commission.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 13, 2004. Read the original PDF.