Ry RU wil aN lake on dh we ex! en i" oIi yee ‘ty ona Portal: Wes rane te& a hae wl insbow \nductd at fyley s and ih] we va bref fUPe Sqr a ceiA on Mes, 7As7 ~a pet ae an Trace Neale a “hn af oeof Gg nene eouct ane oer or i.‘na Economic Vulnerability In Uncertain Times American Women’s Economic Worries since Terrorist Attacks on September 11th Total Very/Somewhat Worried (999) % Base Will have to use someof savings 25 Will not be able to afford health care expenses 22 Will lose health care benefits 19 Will have to postponeor cancel a vacation 15 Will not be able to afford car payments Will notbe able to afford mortgage payments Will not be able to afford groceries 15 14 14 Will lose job 13 Will not be able to afford to dine out 10 Will have to postponeor cancelbuying a house 9 Will have to postponeor cancel buying a major appliance 8 Will not be able to afford child care 8 @ Among women, concerns about economic vulnerability are greater than those focusing on personal safety. (NAPSA)—Terrorism takes a back seat to domestic issues in the views of American women. According to a new survey conducted for the Center for Gender Equality, 46 percent of the women surveyed are very or somewhat worried that their economic situations will worsen. Almost a quarter of the women polled report that their economic situation has worsened since the attacks and say this waspartially or completely a result of the terrorist attacks, rather than economic factors in place before the attacks. One of the economic realities women are facing is the ability to pay health insurance. With new mental health concerns and fears about bioterrorism, especially among those under 30, women are even more con- cerned about their ability to pay for health insurance. Young women (18 to 29) are less prepared to cope with the mental impact of the attacks and reported consequences suchas difficulty sleeping (28 percent), anxiety (25 percent), lack of energy (24 percent) and inability to concentrate (28 percent). Twenty-two percent are wor- ried about their ability to afford health care coverage and 19 percent fear they could lose their benefits altogether. Womenare not confident that their local government agencies are indeed prepared—48 percent believe that local agencies are devoting adequate resources to promote public safety, but only 17 percent are very confident in the ability of law enforcement agencies to deal with bio-terrorism. “It is especially critical that the public and policy makers take women’s issues and concernsinto account as we debate the nation’s economic conditions and its preparedness for defense against bioterrorist attacks,” said Faye Wattleton, president of the Center for Gender Equality. The Center for Gender Equality is an independent, nonpartisan research and public education institution established to advance women’s equal participation at every level of society.
