BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — The 2025 Report on the Status of Women and Girls in Kern County, supported by the Kern Community Foundation, aims to guide the work of the Women and Girls Fund. Volunteer Melissa Morse highlighted that the organization manages over $2 million in charitable funds to support programs improving the lives of women and girls.
The outside building of Kern Community Foundation. (KBAK/KBFX)
The report examines economic wellbeing, health, family, and education, revealing that women and girls constitute about 49% of Kern County’s population, with Latinas making up 57%.
Morse noted a 2% increase in birth rates since the last report, while the number of teen mothers has decreased from 64% to 22%.
FILE – A pregnant woman stands for a portrait in Dallas, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
Despite improvements, inequalities persist. Education has seen progress, with 21% of women holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, yet only 42% of high school girls graduate meeting UC/CSU requirements. “Our girls are not as prepared to go to 4-year colleges as young ladies elsewhere in the state,” Morse said.
Education
Full-time working women in Kern County have seen a 23% increase in median income from 2018 to 2023, but they earn only 83 cents for every dollar men earn, with larger gaps for African American and Latina women. Affordability remains a challenge, with many women and women-led families living below the federal poverty level.
Access to healthcare is another issue, with one in five women delaying needed care due to system difficulties. While the breast cancer mortality rate is decreasing, African American women have the highest mortality rate in the county. The comprehensive report, released every five years with the Center for Advancement of Women, will now include life skills and mental health alongside education.
FILE – A radiologic technologist at Naval Hospital Jacksonville prepares a patient for a mammogram. (U.S. Navy photo by Jacob Sippel, Naval Hospital Jacksonville/Released).
Local nonprofits supporting women and girls can apply for a $100,000 grant opportunity. “We’re just happy to put funds in the hands of communities that are working to uplift themselves,” Morse said. The goal is to fund programs that raise awareness and address the needs of women and girls in Kern County.