Utah women face persistent gaps in safety, economy, and leadership despite some gains, USU report finds

The Utah Women & Leadership Project’s 2026 research synopsis examines the status of Utah women and girls across education, health, safety, civic engagement and the workplace, pointing to both modest gains and persistent disparities. Photo: UWLP

New research points to progress in political representation and STEM education, alongside persistent disparities in safety, poverty and equality.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A new Utah State University report finds that while Utah women and girls have made gains in political representation and STEM education, they continue to face persistent gaps in equality, safety, economic security, and leadership.

The Utah Women & Leadership Project, part of USU Extension, released “The Current Status of Utah Women & Girls: A 2026 Research Synopsis,” which compiles data on political and civic engagement, education, health and well-being, safety and security, and the workplace.

The report is intended to help Utahns understand where women’s perspectives, representation, and leadership remain underrepresented or absent, according to the project. Rather than relying on individual perceptions, the research points to broader patterns in the data.

“This comprehensive report offers an important overview of the current status and experiences of women in Utah in a variety of areas,” said Susan Madsen, founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project and lead author of the report. “By bringing research together across multiple areas, we can better understand where progress is being made, where challenges remain, and what opportunities exist to strengthen outcomes for Utah women, families, communities, and the state as a whole.”

Utah performs well on many statewide measures, the report notes, but that picture shifts when the focus turns to indicators affecting women and girls. Across multiple data sources, the report identifies continuing disparities in economic opportunity, leadership pathways, safety, and belonging.

WalletHub ranked Utah the worst state in the nation for women’s equality for the 11th consecutive year. U.S. News & World Report ranked Utah 46th out of 50 states for gender equality in 2025, and the 2025 U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Index ranked Utah 36th out of 51, showing no improvement since 2020.

Safety concerns figure prominently. One in three Utah women will experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking in her lifetime, the synopsis reports. More than 41% will experience psychological aggression, and one in five Utah girls and women reports experiencing child sexual abuse.

Economic vulnerability persists as well. Homelessness among Utah women rose from 11,585 in 2022 to 12,823 in 2025. More than 36% of Utah single mothers with children younger than 5 live in poverty.

The synopsis also points to progress. Utah’s ranking for political empowerment improved in WalletHub’s 2025 report, rising from 42nd in 2022, 49th in 2023, and 41st in 2024 to 28th. Women’s participation in STEM is also increasing: the share of STEM certificates and degrees awarded to women at Utah’s public degree-granting institutions rose from 20.7% in 2017 to 23.2% in 2022.

“Even with these modest gains, the latest research on Utah’s women and girls shows clearly where improvement is still needed,” Madsen said. “To sustain Utah’s long-term success — and to ensure that communities remain places where children and families can truly thrive — meaningful, data-informed change is essential.”