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State of the Woman Survey

A statewide survey administered by the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women.
If you prefer to take the survey in Spanish, you may do so here.
If you prefer to take the survey in Chinese, you may do so here.

Purpose: Your input will inform Pennsylvania’s 2026 State of the Woman Report, which can serve as a guide to inform statewide priorities on women’s health, economic opportunity, and safety. This survey takes approximately 20 minutes. All responses are confidential and anonymous.

Survey respondents should identify as women. While we respect and value the opinions and experiences of those who support women, our goal is to gather feedback from Pennsylvania women specifically.

Some questions in this survey address sensitive or difficult topics.
1.I am 13 years of age or older.(Required.)
2.I understand that my responses to this survey are for informational purposes only and do not constitute notice or filing of a complaint with or about any Commonwealth agency, official, or employee, or any individual or entity regulated by a Commonwealth agency. If I wish to file a complaint, I will separately contact the relevant Commonwealth agency or other entity with authority to address the complaint.(Required.)
3.To preserve anonymity, I understand that I should not include in my responses any personally identifiable information (PII) or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace my identity. PII may include name, social security number, date, of birth, place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, email address, passport number, or phone number, and any information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, or employment information.(Required.)
SECTION 1: About You
This information will be used only to understand trends and demographics; no identifying information is collected. The survey does not ask for, and you should not provide, personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.
4.County where you live:(Required.)
5.Age:(Required.)
6.Race/Ethnicity (optional; select all that apply)(Required.)
7.How do you currently describe yourself? (allow multiple selection)(Required.)
8.Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?(Required.)
9.Do you have children or caregiving responsibilities? Check all that apply.
10.Do you utilize third party supports/resources to help care for children or adults? Check all that apply.
11.Employment status (check all that apply):(Required.)
12.What is your annual household income?(Required.)
13.What sector do you currently work in?(Required.)
SECTION 2: Economic Opportunity & Financial Stability
Child Care
14.How has access to childcare affected your ability to work?
15.What childcare challenges do you face? (check all that apply)
16.If you use childcare, do you feel comfortable with it as a support for your child and family?
Economic Empowerment
17.Have you personally experienced wage inequality or pay discrimination?
18.Are you the primary income earner in your household?
19.What are the biggest barriers to your economic stability?
20.What, if any, support would help you advance in your career?
21.Are you a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur?
22.If so, what, if any, barriers exist to growth?
23.Have you experienced or witnessed sexism toward women in the workplace?
Leadership & Civic Engagement
24.How engaged do you feel in civic life (voting, local government, community involvement or leadership)?
25.What prevents you from being more involved in your community?
26.What would make it easier for women to succeed economically in Pennsylvania?
Do not include personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.
SECTION 3: Women’s Health Across the Lifespan
Maternal Health
27.How would you rate the quality of your maternal healthcare?
28.What were your biggest challenges during pregnancy or postpartum?
Menstrual Health & Menstrual Equity
29.Has a lack of adequate period products negatively impacted your ability to attend work or school?
30.How do you usually get period products? (Check all that all apply.)
31.Where do you believe access to free or low-cost period products is most needed?
Menopause & Midlife Health
32.For those experiencing menopause or perimenopause: How would you rate the quality of information and care you’ve received?
33.What menopause-related resources would help you most?
34.When you experienced perimenopause and/or menopause, did you recognize what was happening at the time?
Reproductive Healthcare
35.In your community, how would you describe access* to reproductive healthcare (contraception, family planning, abortion care, counseling)?

*access includes distance, availability of doctors, ease of obtaining appointments, cost, insurance coverage
36.Do you believe women in PA should have safe access to abortion care?
Health & Wellness Supports
37.Have you or your family used any of the following programs in the past 3 years?
38.How easy or difficult was it to access these programs?
39.What is the single biggest change Pennsylvania could make to improve women’s health?
Do not include personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.
SECTION 4: Safety, Justice, and Healing
Violence & Safety
40.How concerned are you about violence against women?
Very concerned
Somewhat concerned
Not very concerned
Not concerned
41.Are you – or is any woman you know - a survivor of violence (rape, physical and/or mental abuse, harassment, child abuse, incest, etc)?
42.Which safety issues worry you most? (Check all that apply.)
43.Do you know where to seek help if you or someone you know experiences domestic violence or sexual assault?
Justice & Recovery
44.If you or a loved one have sought support after violence, how would you rate the experience?
45.What kinds of support are most needed for survivors?
Community-Based Prevention
46.What prevention strategies would make your community safer for women?
47.What is one thing Pennsylvania could do to better prevent violence against women?
Do not include personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.
SECTION 5: Final Thoughts
48.What is the most important issue affecting women in Pennsylvania today?
Do not include personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.
49.Do you have any final comments or suggestions?
Do not include personally identifiable information or other sensitive or confidential information that can be used to distinguish or trace your identity.