Problems for American women vary greatly by state, study finds.

Publication: Knight Ridder Washington Bureau (Washington) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Knight Ridder Washington Bureau

Byline: Camille Ricketts

Nov. 17--WASHINGTON -- Life has improved for American women over the last 40 years, but big inequities persist and they vary substantially by state, according to an assessment released Tuesday.

Minnesota, Vermont, Connecticut and Washington are the best states for women, concluded the Institute for Women's Policy Research, an arm of George Washington University. That's based on the group's analysis of female political participation, employment and earnings, social and economic autonomy, access to sex education and family planning resources and general health.

By those measures, the toughest states for women are Mississippi, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Florida rated a "dishonorable mention," one step above the lowest-ranked group.

There...

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