While the entire nation is struggling financially, it's worse in Miami-Dade County for working women, according to a report released Thursday. Most of them are struggling to stay above the poverty level and earn enough for basic necessities.
The lack of economic security for women began before the financial collapse and threatens the entire community, according to findings of a report released Thursday by the Womens Fund of Miami-Dade.
The report, A Portrait of Women's Economic Security in Greater Miami, combines census information with findings from focus groups of low-wage workers to uncover for the first time the obstacles that are keeping women and families from thriving.
''Until now, we didn't know just how bad it was because there wasn't data,'' said Sophie Brion, Women's Advocacy Project director.
Much like the rest of the nation, many women in this region live paycheck to paycheck, turning to friends and family for help with loans to survive rough patches.
Nationally, women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Locally that number is 72 cents for every dollar a man earns. There are more low-wage jobs here and more women in them, lessening their ability to get jobs that offer higher wages, according to the report.
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