STANDING OUT: How Utah can solve the largest gender gap in the country.

• Author: Whale, Kassi Cox
• Position: Cover story

Utah has a lot to offer businesses: tax cuts, space to grow, and a hungry workforce. However, according to the latest US Census Bureau, Utah has the largest male to female college education gap in the country. In fact, it's almost double that of the second to last city, Washington DC. Our state is also tied with Louisiana for having the largest wage gap between male and female employees, an analysis of the same report has shown.

Gender imbalance in the workplace-in Utah and elsewhere-can take on many forms. From sexual harassment and the gender pay gap, to those who sit in leadership positions, it can even be seen in education. If we want our state to truly become the place big organizations, tech giants, and venture capitalists all take seriously, we need to course correct the state's reputation and rise above the statistics.

We can do that, I believe, by rethinking what the work week looks like, embracing the world of remote work and flexibility, and beginning to encourage women from a young age to pursue their dream careers. If we do that, maybe Utah stands a chance at becoming the next hub for tech giants and entrepreneurs alike.

"WOMEN SHOULD DIRECT THEIR ENERGY TOWARD BEING MOTHERS"

Having a dominant religion in a state doesn't necessarily add a negative or positive element to a culture, but it is important to realize the impact religion has on culture. In Utah, the impact of the dominant religion-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints--is certainly a factor.

To the Church, the role of a mother is one of the most important roles a woman can have, and perhaps that is why Utah has the largest number of stay-at-home moms in the country. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Abbey Hunziker chose to be a stay-at-home mother for a number of reasons. Thanks to financial support from her husband, the increasing cost of childcare, and her love of spending time with her daughter, staying at home just made sense. "If I had some sort of career I was in love with," she says. "I could totally see why moms make it work to go back to work. But I'm in love with staying home ... we found what works for our family and I'm really lucky that we can afford to have me at home."

That being said, many women who do decide to return to work feel the pressure to stay at home. "When I was pregnant, men and women told me that I better not be coming back to work after I had my baby," says Kat Kennedy, chief product officer at Degreed. "Because women were...