Women and girls in Oregon are more likely to be victims of sexual violence than the national average and have the highest incidence of reported depression in the country. Those are two of the findings of a new report released Wednesday by the Women's Foundation of Oregon.
Researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reach some startling conclusions. Among them: Just over half of the state's female population has been the victim of sexual or domestic violence.
Emily Evans, director of the Women's Foundation, said it's the first comprehensive look at the well-being of women in Oregon for nearly two decades.
"We think of ourselves as a really great place for women and girls to live. And the first hard look at the data in 20 years is telling us that's not actually the case," she said.
Her remarks came during a meeting of the Oregon Senate's Interim Committee on Health Care.
The report also found Oregon women have the second-highest rate of so-called "asset poverty" in the nation. Nearly half of all Oregon households led by women don't have enough financial resources to meet basic needs for three months in the event of a job loss.