Institute for Women's Policy Research

Focusing pay inequity is a major IWPR effort. They publish reports that demonstrate that women earn less than men in nearly every profession, even in fields dominated by women such as teaching.[8] IWPR identified that prohibitions on discussing pay with co-workers contribute to the gender pay gap.[8]

IWPR has conducted research concerning gender inequities and their impact on economic security and health outcomes since 2016, determining that women are more likely to encounter poverty and to experience more severe poverty than men.[9]

A 2019 IWPR released a report on a study funded by the March of Dimes Center for Social Science Research. The study, which investigated factors related to women's workforce participation after having a child, found that nearly 30% of women leave their jobs in the year following childbirth or adoption, with 20% of women not returning to work within ten years. The study demonstrated that paid family leave reduced women's attrition from the labor market by 20%.[10] IWPR has also investigated gender inequity in United States Patents for inventions, finding that only 7.7% of patents filed between 1977 and 2010 list a woman as the primary investigator.[11]

IWPR first published social indicators for women's fiscal, political, and reproductive autonomy in 1996, which are used as indices for the Status of Women in the States reports. These IWPR indicators have been used by other researchers to look for correlations between women's status and other characteristics such as women's health outcomes.[12][13] New indicators were issued by IWPR in 2020 to measure equality in dimensions of work and family. These include paid leave, childcare, and the labor force participation of parents.[12]

One of the social indicator domains developed by the IWPR is political participation, for which they developed the political participation composite index.[13] The index measures women's representation in elected office (at the state and national levels), voter registration, and voter turnout. Each of these aspects includes several component indicators with weighted points depending on the level of participation or influence (for example, state legislators are given less weight than US representatives). Markers related to institutional resources are also included in the political participation index. An example of an institutional resource metric is the number of women seated on legislative caucuses.[13]

In 2018, IWPR partnered with non-profit organizations Generation Hope, Chegg.org, and the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice to conduct a national survey of student parents at 147 U.S. colleges and universities.[14] The survey found that 20% of all parenting students enrolled in higher education felt unwelcome on campus, with higher percentages for Black and Hispanic/Latino students.[15] The report identified institutional policies, student services, and campus characteristics that contribute to this sense of isolation.[14]