CB11-FF.04

 Jan. 26, 2011

 

Women’s History Month: March 2011

National Women’s History Month dates back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York 

City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was first 

observed in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1981 that Congress established National Women’s History 

Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to

a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and 

the President has issued a proclamation.

 

157.2 million

The number of females in the United States as of Oct. 1, 2010. The number of males was 

153.2 million. 

Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2009/2009-natres.html>

At 85 and older, there were more than twice as many women as men. 

Source: Population estimates 

<http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2009/tables/NC-EST2009-02.x/s> 

Motherhood

82.8 million 

Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the United States. 

Source: Unpublished data from Survey of Income and Program Participation

1.9

Average number of children that women 40 to 44 had given birth to as of 2008, down from 

3.1 children in 1976, the year the Census Bureau began collecting such data. The percentage of 

women in this age group who had given birth was 82 percent in 2008, down from 90 percent in 

1976.

Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008 < http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p20-

563.pdf>
Earnings 

 

$36,278

The median annual earnings of women 15 or older who worked year-round, full time, 

in 2009, up 1.9 percent from $35,609 in 2008 (after adjusting for inflation). Women earned 

77 cents for every $1 earned by men. 

Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb10-144.html> and 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p60-238.pdf>

88%

The ratio of women’s-to-men’s earnings in the District of Columbia in 2009, among the highest 

of any state or state equivalent in the nation, with a ratio at or above 80 percent, along with 

Arizona, California, Nevada, New York, Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Maryland. 

Earnings by State: 2009 American Community Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-3.pdf>

Education

29.9 million

Number of women 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2009, higher than 

the corresponding number for men (28.7 million). Women had a larger share of high school 

diplomas, as well as associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. More men than women had a 

professional or doctoral degree.

Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/education/cb10-55.html> or 

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/>

30% 

Percentage of women 25 and older who had obtained a bachelor’s degree or more as of 2009. 

Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/education/cb10-55.html> or 

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/> 

55%

Percentage of college students in fall 2008 who were women. 

Source: School Enrollment in the United States: 2008 

<http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/school/cps2008/tab01-01.xls>
Businesses

Source for the statements in this section: 

Survey of Business Owners: Women-Owned Businesses: 2007 

<www.census.gov/econ/sbo> and 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/business_ownership/cb10-184.html>

$1.2 trillion 

Receipts for women-owned businesses in 2007. There were 141,893 women-owned businesses 

with receipts of $1 million or more.

7.8 million

The number of women-owned businesses in 2007. Women owned 29 percent of all nonfarm 

businesses; 910,761 of these were employer firms. Women were also equal owners with men of 

another 4.6 million businesses.

7.6 million

Number of people employed by women-owned businesses in 2007. There were 7,644 womenowned businesses with 100 or more employees, generating $357.9 billion in gross receipts.

More than 45 percent of women-owned businesses operated in health care and social assistance, 

and other services, such as personal services; professional, scientific, and technical services; and 

repair and maintenance. Women owned 52 percent of all businesses operating in the health care 

and social assistance sector. Wholesale and retail trade accounted for 36 percent of womenowned business revenue.

13%

Percentage of women-owned businesses in California in 2007, which had the most womenowned businesses at 1 million. Texas was second with 610,162 or 8.0 percent of all womenowned businesses. New York was third in number with 594,421, accounting for 7.8 percent of all 

women-owned businesses.

Voting

66%

Percentage of female citizens 18 and older who reported voting in the 2008 presidential election. 

Sixty-two percent of their male counterparts cast a ballot. Additionally, 73 percent of female 

citizens reported being registered to vote.

Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/voting/cb09-110.html>
Jobs

59%

In 2009, the percentage of females 16 and older who participated in the labor force, representing 

about 72 million women. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics <http://www.bls.gov/cps/>

39%

Percentage of females 16 or older who worked in management, professional and related 

occupations, compared with 33 percent of males. 

Source: 2009 American Community Survey 

<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=dat

asets_2&_lang=en>

23.9 million

Number of female workers in educational services, health care and social assistance industries. 

More women worked in this industry group than in any other. Within this industry group, 

12 million worked in the health care industry, 9.1 million in educational services and 2.8 million 

worked in the social assistance industry. 

Source: 2009 American Community Survey 

<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=dat

asets_2&_lang=en>

111,000

Number of female police officers across the country in 2009. In addition, there were about 

9,700 women firefighters, 338,000 lawyers, 294,000 physicians and surgeons, and 38,000 pilots. 

(Note: Number of pilots pertains to 2008.)

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Tables 615 and 1082

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Military 

197,900

Total number of active duty women in the military, as of Sept. 30, 2008. 

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 508. 

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 

14%

Proportion of members of the armed forces who were women, as of Sept. 30, 2008. 

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 508. 

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 
1.5 million

The number of military veterans who were women in 2009. 

Source: 2009 American Community Survey 

<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=dat

asets_2&_lang=en>

Marriage

65.1 million 

Number of married women 18 and older (including those who were separated or had an absent 

spouse) in 2010. 

Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2010

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2010.html> Table A-1

20.7

Percentage of married couples in which the wife earned at least $5,000 more than the husband in 

2010. 

Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2010

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2010.html> Table FG3

5 million

Number of stay-at-home mothers (where spouse is in the labor force) nationwide in 2010. In 

comparison there were 154,000 stay-at-home fathers.

Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2010

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html> Table SHP1

 Sports 

3.1 million

Number of girls who participated in high school athletic programs in the 2008-09 school year. 

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 1247. 

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 

182,503

Number of women who participated in a National Collegiate Athletic Association sport 

in 2008-09.

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 1246. 

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/> 
Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February) Labor Day 

Super Bowl Grandparents Day 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ Halloween (Oct. 31)

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) (November) 

Older Americans Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Thanksgiving Day 

Mother’s Day The Holiday Season (December) 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: 

<pio@census.gov>.