Where do unmarried women fit in?

• Position: Economic Legislation - Brief article

Nearly half of the women residing in the U.S. are unmarried--a transformational societal change from 1960 when just one-third of women were not wed. Today, virtually every female will spend at least part of her adult life as the sole supporter of herself or her family. With so many women living on their own, it is crucial that lawmakers take seriously unmarried women's economic security needs, maintains the Center for American Progress and Women's Voices-Women Vote, Washington, D.C.

The economic circumstances of unmarried women are troubling, as they face greater insecurity compared to the general population or their married counterparts by almost any measure, claim researchers Liz Weiss, economic policy analyst at CAP, and Page Gardner, founder of WVWV. Weiss and Gardner contend females face undue hardships. For instance, despite representing just under half of the female population, they constitute 60% of women without health insurance, 63% of unemployed women, and 75% of women in poverty.

The top four policy actions proposed by CAP and WVWV are:

* The health care system...