Just a few days ago was the 105th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote in this country. Ohio was among the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment, twelve days after the U.S. Senate passed the amendment and set off the ratification process.

Today, the Buckeye State isn’t faring so well in terms of equality for women, as WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2025” ranks Ohio 41st.

“Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

“States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women’s equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts.”

States such as Hawaii, Nevada, Maryland, Maine and Oregon are doing wonderfully for women.

Ohio, on the other hand, is 32nd for earnings gap, 40th for executive positions gap, 21st for both work hours gap and minimum wage workers gap, 40th for political representation gap and 42nd for entrepreneurship rate gap.

It’s worth noting none of those metrics has anything to do with public restroom use or participation in sports. Those are not the fronts on which women need support.

“Implementing policies that address systemic gender biases, such as the stereotype that women are submissive or weak and therefore incapable of leadership, is crucial,” said Kate Bezrukova, associate professor and chair of organization and human resources at the University of Buffalo School of Management. “Additionally, promoting education that enhances cognitive flexibility can help challenge and change these outdated perceptions.”

Note Bezrukova’s highlight of education that encourages critical thinking, rather than looking through rose-colored glasses at the distant past for guidance.

As those battles are being fought, there is another worry. For July 2025, the headline inflation rate in the Midwest Region (of which Ohio is a part) for the year was 2.6%, while core inflation was at 3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“This exacerbates the disparity,” Bezrukova said. “A key issue is that women often do not advocate for themselves in pay negotiations, while inflation creates additional opportunities for men to negotiate more effectively.”

Ohio can and should be doing better for all of its residents, not just those who are women. But this report offers concrete evidence it is not doing much for women at all, despite some politicians’ claim that their fondest wish is to “protect” women.

More than a century ago, Ohio raced to do what was right for women. What are we racing toward now?