Connecticut is the best state for women, according to a new report released by iVillage, the largest online community for women. Connecticut received a rating of 8.9/10, higher than any other state in the nation, based on the opportunities women have to earn more , learn more, and take better care of themselves than anywhere else.
In Connecticut, 90 percent of women have health insurance, meaning women have access to such essential procedures as regular Pap smears and mammograms. Additionally, nearly half of all Connecticut women have a healthy weight. Connecticut women are also among the nation’s top female earners, with a median salary of $46,000. Finally, 35 percent of women have a four-year college degree, well above the national average of 28 percent.
In related news, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) becomes the longest-serving woman in congressional history this weekend. Mikulski has served in Congress for 36 years, having been elected to the House in 1976 and the Senate in 1986 – the first woman elected to the Senate from Maryland. While I do not serve in the same chamber as Mikulski, I extend to her my heartfelt congratulations for breaking barriers and serving her state and nation for over three decades.