A report commissioned by the City of San Antonio reveals that Bexar County is failing 51 percent of its population: women.
Bexar County received less than favorable scores on metrics related to intimate partner violence, economic opportunity, life expectancy and overall health and well-being, lagging behind Texas' other large metropolitan areas of Austin, Houston and Dallas.
San Antonio ranked the highest for instances of rape with 75.4 per 100,000. San Antonio also has the highest rate of male intimate partner violence. Murder by a male intimate partner tripled from 2012 to 2017.
Concerning economic opportunities, median income for Bexar County women is the lowest of the four cities at $35,000 per year. Approximately 8 percent of women are considered "working poor." The percentage of women earning a bachelor’s degree has increased, but is still far behind other metropolitan cities.
For the category of overall health and well-being, the report shows one in five women in Bexar County do not have health insurance and that maternal and infant mortality rates are higher than in Harris, Travis and Dallas counties.
What are the root causes of these inequalities? What is needed to improve the lives of San Antonio women? How could these findings help shape local policy?
Guests:
- Dr. Rogelio Saenz, professor of demography in the College of Public Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio and lead on "The Status of Women in San Antonio" report
- Rebecca Viagran, San Antonio City Council representative for District 3
- Ana Sandoval, San Antonio City Council representative for District 7
- Shirley Gonzales, San Antonio City Council representative for District 5
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*This interview was recorded on Tuesday, June 18.