Commission For Women Releases First Report On Status Of Women

BA/status.pr 97-97 Contact: Judith Vaughan-Prather, 301-279-8301

COMMISSION FOR WOMEN
RELEASES FIRST REPORT
ON STATUS OF WOMEN For Immediate Release: March 27, 1997

The Montgomery County Commission for Women today released its first "Report on the Status of
Women of Montgomery County," which reveals both impressive statistics in some areas and need for
improvement in others.
Developed by the Commission's Committee on the Status of Women as part of the Commission's
25th anniversary observance, the 24-page report evaluates the status of women in six areas:
population demographics, economics, education, health, the law and politics.
Project coordinators, Larke Nahme Huang and Julia da Silva, described the report as "a
compilation of objective data about the current status of Montgomery County women.
"It is hoped," they said, "that the information will generate new directions for better
policies and brighter futures for all county citizens."
County Executive Douglas M. Duncan received the report at a program held at the
Commission's Counseling and Career Center in Rockville. He congratulated the Commission for "its
vision in recognizing the need for this information.
"While there is a wealth of information in the report, some of it positive, there are still
areas of concern, such as women in poverty and women's economic status," Duncan said.
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He called the report a "positive beginning from which employers, educational institutions
and other groups in both the public and private sectors can, hopefully, plot strategies for change
which will benefit all residents."
Following are highlights from each section of the report:

Women in Montgomery County
- Women make up nearly 52 percent (411,000) of the county population, outnumbering men by
more than 27,000.
- Women outnumber men in the over-65 elderly population, comprising 60 percent of that age
group.
- In 1990, 53.8 percent of women in the County aged 15 and over were currently married
(slightly above the State average of 50 percent).
- While each women in Montgomery County has fewer children, the percentage of women who have
children is greater than other jurisdictions.

Women in the Economy
- Women owned businesses, including firms with and without employees, generate more than $3
billion in revenue each year.
- The proportion of women in the local labor force increased from 59 percent to 68 percent
in the last 10 years.
- County women have the highest levels of occupational status in the state; 20 percent -more-

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held executive and managerial positions and 22 percent were in professional positions (1990
figures).
- Two-thirds of all women with children were employed outside the home (1992).
- Working women in Montgomery County earn just two-thirds of what men earn.
- In 1990, 55 percent of local African American women over the age of 16 were employed; 52
percent of Hispanic women, and 46 percent of Asian American women.

Women and Education
- Women comprise 80 percent of all teachers, but are 56 percent of all administrators in
Montgomery County Public Schools.
- Males and females are equally represented in advanced placement and advanced math classes.
However, in national test scores, local girls continue to perform significantly lower than boys on
the math SAT.

Women and Health
- Health risk factors for County women reflect national statistics, with disease and cancer
the leading causes of death.
- The rate of HIV infected women and those diagnosed with AIDS continue to rise, with women
representing 30 percent of all new cases. Twenty percent of all cases are believed to have been
infected as teens.
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- Teen mothers are far more likely to drop out of school and they present a greater
risk for low-birth weight babies.

Women and the Law
- In the first 11 months of 1996, women were the victims in 58 percent of the violent crimes
committed in the County.
- Women were charged as perpetrators in just 11 percent of all violent crimes in the
previous three years.
- Although women are more than half of the population, they committed an average of just 21
percent of the crimes against properties in the past three years.
- Of the 57 judicial positions serving the County, only 12 are held by women.
Women and Politics
- Women are under-represented as candidates, but their rate of success is notable. In the
1994 local election, women represented 24 percent of the candidates on the ballot, but were more
than 35 percent of those elected. In 1996, they comprised one-quarter of the candidates and one
half of those elected.
- Women are well-represented in elective and appointed offices in the County, while their
numbers on the State and national levels are smaller.
For a copy of the "Report of the Status of Women of Montgomery County," contact the
Commission for Women at 301-279-8301. The Commission's officers and Counseling and Career Center
are located at 255 North Washington Street, 4th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850.

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