Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696591152454.pdf (United States)
The United Nations has designated gender equality as one of its 17 Sustainable Development Objectives: To create a more sustainable future, it is essential that women have the opportunity to achieve their full potential as active participants in their lives, those of their families, and their communities.
This brief report on the status of women in San Antonio is a derivation from a comprehensive full report that was commissioned by the City of San Antonio (Please see full report by Dr. Rogelio Sáenz and Lily Casura for a comprehensive account of data, methodology, and references)1 This report provides an overview of the status of women according to four overarching categories: i.

Health and Well-being ii.

Economic Opportunities iii.

Political Participation iv.


Violence and Safety Demographics San Antonio is the 2nd largest city in Texas, and the 7th largest city in the United States.
51% of the population are women The representation of women increases with higher age-groups: Estimated Population 1.5 M in 2017 Largest City women account for 2ND 7TH 25% NH White 64% Hispanic/ Latino 7 % NH Black 4% Other Total Population by Race/Ethnicity 2 63% of the 80-84 years age-group 34% 71% men widowed women widowed Percent of women 35-44 yrs old who are married (by race group) NH White Hispanic/ Latina NH= Non-Hispanic NH Black Asian 7% of women who gave birth were under 20 years of age, a drop from 11% several years ago.
This is comparable to data from Travis, Dallas, and Harris Counties.

According to the most recent data, 44% of women in Bexar County who gave birth were unmarried.

This is comparable to Dallas County (46%) and Harris County (43%), but higher than in Travis County (33%).

However there are differences by race/ethnicity – 62% of NH Black women who gave birth were unmarried.

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Health & Well-being Infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate in Bexar County are higher than in Travis, Dallas, and Harris Counties.
Health Insurance Coverage Maternal and Child Health 1 in 5 women do not have health insurance 2013 - 2017 Hispanic/Latina women (particularly foreign-born women) are most affected: have no insurance “Environments characterized by lower levels of gender inequality— where women thrive socially, economically, and politically— tend to be associated with more favorable health conditions for women, along with more favorable birth outcomes.” – Homan 2017 Race/ethnic disparities in percent of women who received early prenatal care: 56% 72% 56% of Hispanic/Latina women 72% of non-Hispanic (NH) White women Bexar Travis Dallas Harris Maternal mortality rate (number of women dying due to childbirth complications per, 100,000 births) Infant mortality rate (number of babies not reaching age 1, per 1,000 births) 45.8 6.4 By mother’s race* NH White: 6.1 Hispanic/ Latina: 6.9 NH Black: 9.7 39.6 45.5 40.5 3.8 5.8 6.0 *Race-specific estimates are feto-infant mortality rates provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
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Health & Well-being ...(continued) Bexar County women are expected to live longer than men, and longer than women in Dallas and Harris Counties.

Life Expectancy Top Causes of Mortality women men In general, women have lower overall mortality rates and cause-specific mortality rates than men, however one exception is that women have higher mortality rates due to Alzheimer’s Disease, according to recent 2017 data.
Women in the northern parts of the city are expected to live well into their 80s, while those surrounding the downtown area can expect to live to their 70s at most.

Life Expectancy among Bexar County women s e t a R h t a e D d e t s u d A j - e g A n o i t a l u p o p 0 0 0 0 0 1 r e p ( , Heart disease Cancer Stroke NH White Hispanic/Latina NH Black The top three causes of mortality for Bexar County women are: heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
NH Black women have the highest mortality rate for these three top causes, compared with NH White and Hispanic/Latina women.

“Because women represent the cornerstone of a family’s overall health, we must do everything we can in San Antonio to ensure that women have access to quality care, as this will also lead to improved health for children and families.” - Dr. Erika Gonzalez, Chair of Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women 75-76 years of age 85-92 years of age 4 i.
Health & Well-being ...(continued) Drug-induced and accidental drug overdose death rates are lower in Bexar County than in Travis, Dallas, and Harris Counties.

Deaths of Despair Death Rates per 100,000, 2013-2017 Suicide Drug-induced Accidental drug overdose Alcohol-induced Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 6.2 7.2 5.5 4.7 11.7 7.1 9.4 6.6 4.3 4.9 5.0 7.5 5.8 4.1 7.6 4.8 7.6 6.5 3.4 7.6 More women in Bexar County are dying from chronic liver disease/cirrhosis, compared to other major counties.
”Deaths of Despair” are nationally on an upward trend, and include suicides, drug- induced deaths, accidental drug overdose, alcohol- induced deaths, and chronic liver disease/cirrhosis.

What is the City of San Antonio doing to increase Health & Well- being for women?

Women’s health is a top priority for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health), and a wide array of programs and services are provided to improve the health and well-being of women.
• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC): provides food benefits, nutrition education, and health care referrals, among other services.

• The San Antonio Lactation Support Center: provides no-cost breastfeeding support services and counseling.

• The Healthy Start Program: provides community education, home visitation, and resources for healthy pregnancies.
• The Healthy Beats Program: provides coordinated prenatal care and referral services to at-risk pregnant women, along with STD testing and treatment, throughout the course of women’s pregnancy.

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Economic Opportunities Women have closed the gender gap for completion of a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, but they are still under-represented in degrees in the STEM field.

Pre-Kindergarten Schooling STEM Field Hispanic/Latina young girls are less likely to go to Pre-K.
High-school Dropout Percentages NH White Hispanic/Latina 2.6% 6.5% NH Black 0.6% Asian 4% Bachelor’s Degree The percent of San Antonio women with a bachelor’s degree or higher rose from 22% in 2005 to 27.5% in 2017, now giving women a 2% edge over men.

However, this is still notably lower in comparison to other major counties.

6 Women 16-24 yrs.

old in the San Antonio area are less likely to be high school dropouts compared to men.
Percentage of women who earned their degree in STEM field compared to men who did so.

27.5% “Investing in women and girls is important because the benefits flow not only to them but to everyone around them.

An educated woman is able to fully participate in the labor market, which helps boost economic productivity and leads to greater wealth for the entire community.” - Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, D5 ii.
Economic Opportunities ...(continued) Despite educational increases, the proportion of San Antonio’s women in the workforce remains virtually unchanged over the last 12 years.

Work & Employment Earnings Gap SA E M P L O Y M E N T 63% 72% Percent of San Antonio women employed compared to men.
Percent of women likely to be employed, by race/ ethnicity Women’s median earnings as a percent of men’s median earnings rose from 77% in 2005 to 82% in 2017, however this increase is attributed to men losing ground in their wages after adjusting for inflation.

Median earnings of working women in Texas Business Entrepreneurship Women own 30% of businesses in San Antonio, and NH- White women are the most likely to have their business incorporated.
In San Antonio, the median earnings of both men and women rise with level of education.

However, at each educational level, median earnings of men are higher than women.

For example, among the most educated workers: women make only 72 cents for every $1 men make.

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Economic Opportunities ...(continued) Over the past decade, women in San Antonio on average had 40% higher poverty rates than men.
Household Income Median household income comparing major metropolitan areas Poverty & the Working Poor Approximately 8% of women in San Antonio are also considered “working poor” – they are gainfully employed full-time and yet fall below the poverty level (poverty level for a family of 4 = $25,750).

NH Black and Hispanic/ Latina women are twice as likely to be working poor compared to NH White women.
Female head without husband Male head without wife Married-couple What is the City of San Antonio doing to increase economic opportunities for women?

• The Economic Development Department’s (EDD) Workforce Division focuses on educational and skills training, and funds multiple delegate agencies to provide support services such as transportation and child-care.
The EDD’s Small Business Office also offers the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which promotes the use of local small, minority, and women-owned businesses by placing incentives on City solicitations to encourage their participation.

• The Human Resources (HR) Department has programs specifically focused on women in the workplace, including tailored outreach plans to recruit female candidates for leadership and non-traditional roles.
• The City has also launched the Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program to offer one-on-one mentorship with City Executives that are women.

• The Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Women Business Owners are also organizations in San Antonio that serve 53,000+ women business owners.
• Former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro established the Pre-K 4 SA Program to enhance the early development of four- year old children, accompanied by an approved sales-tax increase to provide stable funding.

Home Ownership 59% of NH White single women householders in San Antonio are home owners, compared to 36% of NH Black single women householders.

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Political Participation 44% of committee members across the 81 San Antonio boards and commissions are women.
Civic Engagement Elected Political Representation Current women City Council Members In 2018, Women in Bexar County accounted for 53% of registered voters.

Women also accounted for the majority of voter turnout in the three most recent Bexar County general elections.

What is the City of San Antonio doing to increase political participation for women?
• The Government & Public Affairs (GPA) Department and the Office of Equity are working hard to develop a system whereby a more complete representation of citizens is achieved, including that of women.

There is continued dialogue between the Office of Equity and other City departments on how to best increase equity.
• The SASpeakUp Initiative was launched in order to increase civic engagement and public participation from all sectors of the population, including minorities, under-represented individuals, and women.

9 “The equal participation of women in politics and government is essential to building strong communities.

We need women’s voices in shaping laws and policies so that they better reflect women’s interests and needs, as well as the interests and needs of their families.
By running for office or engaging in civic activities, women’s voices as leaders and activists will be heard.” - Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, D3 iv.

Violence and Safety Women are more likely to be killed in Bexar County than in Travis, Dallas, and Harris Counties.

Rape In 2014, San Antonio had the highest rape rate (75.4 per 100,000 population) compared to other major cities such as Austin (63.2 per 100,000 population), Dallas (61.1 per 100,000), and Houston (36.6 per 100,000).
Homicide The homicide rate of women in Bexar County doubled between 2015 and 2017.

Research shows that the level of gender inequality in a state is associated with a greater prevalence of intimate partner violence.
10 Murder of Women by Male Intimate Partners The number of women murdered by a male intimate partner has been steadily increasing year-by-year in Bexar County, more than tripling between 2012 and 2017: d e l l i K n e m o W f o r e b m u N 5 7 5 9 11 18 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Bexar County has the highest murder rate of women, compared to Travis County, Dallas County, and Harris County: , s e l a m e F 0 0 0 0 0 1 r e P s h t a e D 1.8 Bexar County 0.5 Travis County 0.6 Dallas County 1.2 Harris County iv.
Violence and Safety ...(continued) “Domestic violence and sexual assault deprive women and girls of their ability to live with dignity.

In extreme cases, it robs women of their liberty and ability to pursue happiness.

Unfortunately, this violence is far too common.

San Antonio should be a place of safety and opportunity for all residents—including women and girls.
I’m proud City Council is driving resources and policy to protect women and girls so they may live life to the fullest.” - Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, D7 What is the City of San Antonio doing to address violence and safety for women?

• The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has implemented the evidence-based Cure Violence Health Model through their Stand Up S.A.
Program in order to address violence as an issue in SA, and recognizes well that women are particularly susceptible to being victims of violence.

The program has actively worked with mothers of gun violence victims.

• The Department of Human Services (DHS) has helped revitalize the Bexar County Domestic Violence Task Force and has created an inventory of services geared towards domestic/intimate partner violence.
It also provides continued support for agencies such as the Battered Woman’s Shelter and Child Safe to expand their services.

References and Data Sources 1 This brief report (prepared by Jesus Fonseca & Dr. Golareh Agha), as well as the full Report on the Status of Women in San Antonio (by Dr. Rogelio Sáenz and Lily Casura) are available at: SanAntonio.gov/Health/News/Reports.

Please see the full report for a comprehensive account of data, methodology, and references.

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