YWCA’s new survey also shows the priorities of Gen Z women are more varied than any other generation

WASHINGTON, DC — YWCA USA has released its 2024 National YWomen Vote survey, offering a comprehensive view of the top social and economic priorities among women and gender expansive registered voters heading into the 2024 elections.

The survey finds that women across generations, racial and ethnic groups, economic status, and region all identified the economy and cost of living as the current most important issue to them personally, followed by access to healthcare, and the increasing frequency of mass shootings and gun violence.

Most generations resoundingly emphasized economic concerns as their top personal priority, with no less than 71% of Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and the Silent Generation all ranking it number one. But Gen Z’s priorities were more spread out: the economy came in at number one with 42% of Gen Z voters ranking it as their top personal priority. This was followed by abortion access, which 36% ranked as a top priority (at least 11 points more than women from other generations), and racial justice, which 28% ranked as a top priority (a full 17 percentage points more than other generations, including Millennials).

 According to analysis by researchers at HIT Strategies, which administered the YWomenVote 2024 national survey, the fact that Gen Z voters are ranking the importance of so many issues as high speaks to their increasing anxiety about the future and feeling a lack of control or power to make a difference in our world overall.

Access to affordable childcare is another area where Gen Z voters -- specifically those of Black and Latina background -- place an outsized emphasis. In particular, Latina Gen Z women prioritize affordable childcare as a policy priority more than any other demographic, even more than their Millennial counterparts, consistently answering with slightly higher intensity than women overall for childcare policies. And while childcare lands as the third most important issue for both Black and Latina Gen Zers, these two subgroups of women rate childcare nearly 4 times more important to them personally, than compared to women overall.

However, in terms of priorities for the current chapter in their lives, “having or caring for children” is not significantly higher for Black or Latina Gen Z women given their emphasis on childcare in top issues and policies -- their answers were right around the average of 9%. Instead, Gen Z Latinas are more likely to prioritize advancing their education, buying a home, and advancing in their career, and Black Gen Z women are more likely to prioritize racial justice, buying a home, and advancing in their careers.

“Our poll shows that Gen Z women are currently focused on building strong careers and buying a home to establish themselves for years to come,” said Ashley Aylward, Research Manager at HIT Strategies, which conducted the survey. “Interestingly, Gen Z women - particularly Latina and Black women - put a high priority on affordable childcare as an issue important to them personally, even though most are not currently parents. This likely shows the increasing anxiety among Gen Z voters about the cost of childcare and being able to financially afford the same lifetime milestones as their parents, as they plan their lives moving forward.”

When participants reflected on issues important to all women, as opposed to themselves individually, their priorities shifted. Not surprisingly, abortion access rose to the top when considering importance to women overall. What is surprising, however, is that domestic and sexual violence -- which could include things like online harassment -- emerged as the third most important issue facing women overall in the U.S.

This points to a prevalent and continued concern about women’s safety, with higher numbers of Gen Z, Native American, Latina, Pacific Islander,  Asian American, and Black women reporting that they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace or online harassment within the past year.  In fact, more than twice as many Gen Z women reported online harassment and workplace harassment than women overall.

As such, women continue to place high value on policy solutions to ensure workplaces are free from sexual violence, harassment and discrimination (93%) and to strengthen protections against domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, online harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence (92%).

“Overall, the survey indicates what our nearly 200 YWCA Local Associations see in cities and towns across the country every day,” said YWCA USA CEO Margaret Mitchell. “Women across generations, racial and ethnic groups and regions are all concerned about the cost of living, and they want to see practical policy solutions that address things like access to healthcare, abortion care and child care, all of which contribute to cost of living concerns and make being a parent and a woman in the U.S. so challenging. And, they want to feel physically safer, by both addressing mass shootings and gun violence and seeing policies enacted that help stem domestic and sexual violence.”

While cynicism remains the main barrier to getting out the vote, the survey also shows that connecting specific issues to how they impact women can increase women’s sense of vote power – opening the doors to “leaning in” instead of “leaning out” of exercising their right to vote.

The survey shows that women across demographic groups express high levels of support for a suite of economic policy solutions, including harassment- and discrimination-free workplaces, equal pay laws, paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, workforce training, affordable housing, and childcare, all of which address the top issue facing women individually and collectively in the U.S.

YWCA’s programs help to fill this gap, serving more than 122,000 women annually with economic empowerment programs, such as job training, financial literacy, salary negotiation, and leadership development. In addition, YWCA housing and childcare programs are strong foundations on which women and families can build their financial futures. As one of the largest networks of domestic and sexual violence service providers in the United States, YWCA also works for practical solutions to protect survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and eradicate all forms of gender-based violence.

The survey will inform a panel discussion among Gen Z women and gender expansive voters during the upcoming YWomen Vote 2024 National Town Hall in Philadelphia, PA this Saturday, September 7, 2024. For more information, visit www.ywomenvote.org/townhall.

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About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is a powerful network of nearly 200 community-based, grassroots organizations with the collective mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Through membership in World YWCA, we are also a proud part of a global women’s rights movement with the goal of engaging 100 million young women and girls to transform power structures to create justice, gender equality, and a world without violence and war by the year 2035.

 YWCAs are on the ground in towns, cities, and counties across the United States, providing the services that women need most, from safety for domestic and sexual violence survivors to affordable housing and childcare. Using our collective action at the local level, YWCA USA lifts women’s voices to impact social and policy change at the state and national levels. We believe that this unique combination of services, advocacy, and social change will lead to a world where ALL women, girls, and gender-diverse people, especially those of color, are free from racism and sexism, experience justice and equity, and are empowered to thrive. As a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization, YWCA USA is prohibited from endorsing or opposing candidates for elected office.

For more information, visit ywca.org.