New study: Hawai‘i is breaking the rules of inequality
Hawaiʻi now holds the top spot in the nation for women's equality. This is according to a new report. The 2025 study compared all 50 states across 17 measures of gender and sex equity in the workplace, education and health and political representation.
The United States overall did not perform as strongly. It ranked 42nd in the World Economic Forum's global list of 148 countries. That placement highlights how uneven opportunities remain for women nationwide, even as individual states like Hawaiʻi lead the way.
Here's what we found from the study:
1. Workplace and education equity
Hawaiʻi earned its #1 position through strong scores across multiple areas. The state ranked 4th for workplace environment and 18th for education and health.
One key finding is that men and women in Hawaiʻi experience nearly equal conditions in employment.
Women are slightly less likely to be unemployed than men by 0.5%. They also have a 3.2% advantage in job security.
In addition, there is no difference between men and women who earn minimum wage, which is uncommon across the country.
In schools, the gender and sex gap is narrow. Fourth grade math scores show boys ahead by 1.1%; but by eighth grade, the difference shrinks to 0.6%. This suggests both girls and boys receive strong preparation for future opportunities.2. Political representation
Hawaiʻi stood out in political empowerment. It ranked first in the nation for closing the gap in political representation.
The state has equal shares of women and men serving in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
The state legislature does tilt more male, but the federal balance helped Hawaiʻi secure its overall lead.
3. National context
Across the U.S., women continue to make up more than half of the population; but they hold only 28% of seats in legislatures and 33% of S&P 500 board positions. Even in the best-ranked states, disparities remain.
'Ensuring women's equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights,' explained Chip Lupo, an analyst for the report. 'States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women's equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts.'
4. The top states
Hawaiʻi led the list with a total score of 72.49. Nevada ranked second, Maryland third, Maine fourth and Oregon fifth. Each of these states showed smaller gender and sex gaps across employment, pay and representation than the rest of the country.
You can click to access the full report.
Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8
For Hawaiʻi, the findings mark recognition of progress in building a society where men and women share more equal footing in work, school and politics.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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