Women Gaining in Education But Stalled on Pay, Federal Report Finds

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 -- American women are making real gains, especially in college and graduate education, but they continue to lag behind men in pay, according to a report released today by the White House that administration officials say will be used as a basis for policy changes.

The White House released the report, "Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being," to kick off Women's History Month. It was described as a "statistical portrait" showing how women are faring in the country today and how their roles have changed over time.

Administration officials acknowledged that there is nothing new to these reports -- compiled from reports that were already available to the public -- but said that the compilation of the findings shows something important for women and families that will influence the president's policies.

"The story is really looking at all of this together, to show how women's lives around children and family is changing," White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett said on a conference call today with reporters.

She did not mention any specific policy changes that would be made, but said that the findings of the report will be addressed.

"It helps inform our policy decisions because we've got to realize that we've got to encourage women to go into higher-paying fields and be educating in a way that is going to lead to higher paying jobs," Jarrett said. "And so if you look at it in the totality, I think it will inform a wide variety of different policies and programs the federal government will initiate and continue, but it will be evidence-based."

The White House said the report serves as a guidepost to move forward, by enhancing the administration's understanding of how far women have come and what remains to be done.

General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the Office of Management and Budget Preeta Bansal said that they will persue this "evidence based policy making" approach now with "an all government and all agency approach to address the special issues effecting women."