Research

Women’s Reproductive Health in Hawaii (2024)

With the help of the Department of Psychology at the University of Hawai’i Manoa, a statewide assessment was conducted with individuals of both sexes and all ages.

The focus of this study is current access to reproductive medical care. The study highlights the ongoing problems of getting healthcare in areas with limited medical professionals. It also looks at barriers like the ability to take time away from work for medical care. Over the years efforts have been made to improve access to health care of all kinds. Despite these improvements this study shows that the problems are not solved and we must continue to work for access to complete medical services particularly for services used by women.

The Gendered Impact of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i

The COVID-19 pandemic is a multi-dimensional and still unfolding crisis. Across the multiple spheres of life COVID-19 has impacted, we can document vast distributional differences in terms of who is most affected, with those impacts being uneven depending on how one is positioned by race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, class/socioeconomic status, and other factors. The purpose of this report is to analyze the gendered impacts of the pandemic up to the current moment, in order to help inform feminist advocacy, organizing, and policymaking processes in and beyond.

Pathways in the Pandemic: Intersectional Impacts of COVID-19 in Hawai’i is made possible thanks to major support from the TIME’S UP Foundation and the Time’s Up, Measure Up initiative. Time’s Up, Measure Up is generously supported by Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda French Gates. Additional support was provided by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and our donors.

The Status of Women in Hawaii Report (2017)

In 2017, Hawai’i was one of only seven U.S. states where men outnumber women. While women in Hawai’i and the United States have made progress over the last century, we continue to be paid less than men, are more likely than men to live in poverty, suffer more from poor mental health, and continue to experience intimate partner and sexual violence. Furthermore, wide disparities in race and ethnicity persist, indicating that not all women benefit equally from the progress that has been made here and across the US.

Nevertheless, Hawai’i is unique among the fifty states. Beyond its geographical remoteness, its ethnic and political history, and its ample natural resources and strategic position within the Pacific Rim, Hawai’i has many opportunities to participate and compete in the national as well as global economy. Consequently, women have the potential to leverage these opportunities to collectively advance the fortune of all Hawai’i. If we can better understand the unique identity, history and culture of Hawaii’s women and girls, we can overcome many barriers to success.

In 2017, thanks to a generous grant from the Wallace, Elizabeth, and Isabella Wong Family Foundation, Women’s Fund of Hawai’i commissioned a report on the Status of Women in Hawai’i from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (iwpr.org). It is our hope that the findings in this report may be used as a guide to shape services and policy to improve the lives of women and girls in Hawaii.

October 2018 US Economic Security Data

New updated fact sheets released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) find that one in three working adults in the United States is economically insecure. Only 67 percent of working adults (aged 19-64) in the United States are economically secure, meaning their family household income is enough to meet monthly basic expenses and reach modest asset development goals. The Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index provides a measure of how much income working adults of different family types need to be economically secure in each state.

So how does Hawaii measure up?

• In Hawaii, just 61% of working adults have enough income to meet monthly basic expenses, such as housing, child care, and transportation.
• A single parent with one infant needs $66,588 annually for basic economic security. (Meanwhile, according to WFH’s report, the median annual earnings for women in Hawaii is $40,000.)
• Of all household types, single women with children are least likely to have economic security (19%) and are only half as likely to be economically secure as single men with children (40%).
• Hawaii ranks 49th in the nation – ahead of only New York and California – for the share of working adults who are economically secure.

For more information, visit iwpr.org/best.