Archives: Articles - Drake Institute of Women's Policy

Health as Economic Infrastructure: Air Pollution and Women’s Respiratory Health

In 2021, the Drake Institute’s fellows examined how air pollution and respiratory illness intersected to create one of the most pressing women’s health challenges of our time. They noted that more than 12 million women in the United States were living with asthma, compared to about 6.6 million men, and that women of color—particularly Black and Hispanic women—faced higher rates of hospitalization and emergency room visits for respiratory conditions. At the time, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranked among the most costly medical conditions in the country, and the gender disparities were already clear. The conclusion was unavoidable: air pollution was not only an environmental crisis, but also a women’s health and economic equity issue.

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Access & Inclusion as Economic Infrastructure: Gender-Based Occupational Segregation in STEM

In 2021, the Drake Institute’s fellows highlighted a troubling reality: although women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce and hold half of all undergraduate degrees, they continue to represent only a fraction of the nation’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals. At that time, women accounted for just 28 percent of science and engineering personnel, and fewer than one in five bachelor’s degrees in computer science and engineering were awarded to women. Researchers pointed not to ability but to confidence gaps as a key factor in this persistent segregation. This uneven representation was not only a matter of equity; it revealed a structural weakness in our economic infrastructure.

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Care as Economic Infrastructure: Doula Services and Medicaid Coverage

In 2021, the Drake Institute flagged a quiet but critical shift in maternal health policy: states were beginning to recognize doulas as Medicaid providers, opening new pathways for reimbursing services long delivered outside formal medical systems. At the time, four states—Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, and Oklahoma—had passed legislation to integrate doulas into Medicaid, while pilot programs were underway in New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. Advocates, however, expressed concern: without inclusive certification structures and provider-led policymaking, landmark legislation could inadvertently exclude community-based doulas—the very practitioners most trusted by marginalized families.

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Health as Economic Infrastructure: Improving Treatment Access for Women with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

In 2021, the Drake Institute examined barriers facing women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. These overlapping conditions place women at significantly higher risk of homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, and victimization. At the time, the Institute noted how treatment was often fragmented: one program for mental health, another for substance use, and few integrated models that addressed both simultaneously.

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Access & Inclusion as Economic Infrastructure: Religious Discrimination Against Muslim Women

—by Br. Larry Prime

In 2021, the Drake Institute examined the persistent problem of religious discrimination against Muslim women in the United States. At the time, Muslim Americans reported institutional discrimination at rates higher than any other religious group, and Muslim women were disproportionately targeted because of observable religious attire—such as hijabs or modesty swimwear—hindering their ability to live, work, and participate freely.

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