Women’s Fund Survey Portrays Voting-Age Rhode Island Women
As Active, Independent, and Worried
Cost of Living, Health Care Coverage, Education Top List of Concerns

PROVIDENCE- A first-ever survey of Rhode Island women 18-75 paints a complex picture of women’s attitudes about politics, volunteering, and the issues that matter most to them.

Women feel strongly about voting
Rhode Island women believe strongly in both the importance and power of voting. More than three-quarters of women surveyed (76%) strongly agree that “voting is one of the most important responsibilities of being a citizen”, and virtually all (93%) somewhat agree or strongly agree that “by voting, I can help bring change to my community.” 

The vast majority of survey respondents report that they are planning to vote this fall, and are most interested in the outcome of the Governor’s race, followed by the U.S. Senate race.  Roughly half (47%) say that they think their vote has the most impact at the local level and a quarter at the state level (26%).  Even in the context of a close and widely publicized United States Senate race, only 13 percent say they think their vote will have the biggest impact at the national level.

“ Rhode Island women are focused on making change locally, but view voting as an important responsibility,” said Anna Greenberg, Vice President at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, which conducted the survey of 507 Rhode Island women last week.  “Politicians and parties should pay attention to their issues – affordable healthcare, quality education, and a secure retirement – if they want to speak to women effectively and harness this important vote.”

“The good news is that most women understand they can make a difference by voting, and say they’ll vote this fall,” said Marcia Coné-Tighe, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund, which commissioned the poll.  “For women who aren’t planning to vote or get involved in civic life, the biggest barriers are information and time. We need to find new ways to reach and motivate women, particularly younger women.”

And what issues motivate? In their own words, women ranked education, health care, and taxes as the three top issues that would motivate them to get more involved in civic life, followed by the Iraq war, and the proposed Casino.

Women are worried about their futures
Concerns about keeping up with rising prices, holding on to health care coverage, and affording retirement top the list of things Rhode Island women report being “very concerned about,” followed by concerns about getting their kids a quality education, and being the victim of a terrorist attack.

Two thirds of respondents report being “very concerned” that their income will not keep up with rising prices, and nearly that many (64%) worry that they won’t be able to afford health care or will lose their health insurance.   Concerns varied based on age: for example, younger women are more likely than older women to worry about education, whereas older women are more likely than younger women to worry about being the victim of a terrorist attack.

Women are active in their communities
Women also report a commitment to volunteering, particularly related to helping those more vulnerable and helping with education and children’s issues.  Three-quarters (74%) of women reported some sort of volunteer activity in the last year.  Many women volunteered their time to organizations that help the poor, sick elderly or homeless (44%), church or religious groups (40%), and child or youth development programs (39%).

To most Rhode Island women, political participation is about voting.  Most women felt that the best way to participate in the political process is to vote and help get candidates elected (55%), as opposed to volunteering and making a difference in the community (33%).  However, there are some differences by age: older women are more likely to prioritize voting than younger women.

To obtain a copy of the poll results please send your request to pollresults@clarendongroup.net.

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