President Obama spoke at Orlando’s Valencia College on Thursday about improving economic opportunity for American women. It’s part of a recent push by the White House on women’s issues, which will culminate with the White House Summit on Working Families this June.
Thursday’s stop — the White House called it a “roundtable discussion” — looked at the myriad ways to improve women’s place in the workforce. Obama touted “critical investments” his administration has made in higher education and rattled off the numbers: More than 11 million women are enrolled in postsecondary education programs, female enrollment in four-year universities is up 20 percent since 2000, and the average graduation rate among women is higher than their male counterparts.
More worrisome, however, is the trouble many women face in paying for education. As the chart below shows, 21 percent of women in postsecondary education programs (16 percent over the age of 25, 5 percent under 25) are mothers, which leaves them with more of a financial burden. And, according to the White House, “women are disproportionately dependent on financial aid.” To counteract the gap, Pell grants have been increased by $1,000 and Obama has battled for lower interest student loan rates.
The president also discussed the lack of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — often called STEM — where there is opportunity for growth. The chart below shows that while STEM degrees among women have increased since 1970, they still account for less than 40 percent of all such degrees issued.
Women working in STEM fields make nearly 33 percent more than those in non-STEM fields, which represents an opportunity to close the gender pay gap. Obama announced yesterday that the White House plans to “mobilize 200,000 federal STEM employees to volunteer in STEM-related activities” in an effort to generate interest in the field. The thinking, which feels a bit dated, is that mentors can change women’s minds about the perceptions of math and engineering.
These are all worthy efforts by the president, but let’s not forget the role cities can play in promoting women’s role in the economy after they’ve matriculated — specifically when it comes to minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs). In 2005, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg signed Local Law 129 to promote government contracting opportunities for MWBEs. As a result, the number of certified MWBEs jumped from 700 in 2005 to more than 3,500 in 2013, winning $3 billion in contracts over that time. Last July, the mayor expanded the law and removed the $1 million cap that prohibited MWBEs from bidding for big-scale jobs.
Skills training and education play a huge role in further developing the female workforce, and it stands to foster a more equitable workplace and economy. But it’s equally important for cities to leverage their public money by contracting women already in the workforce.
The Equity Factor is made possible with the support of the Surdna Foundation.
Bill Bradley is a writer and reporter living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in Deadspin, GQ, and Vanity Fair, among others.