The Center for American Progress (CAP), in partnership with Maria Shriver, has broken new ground with the publication of “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything.” The report takes a hard look at how women’s changing roles are affecting our major societal institutions, from government and businesses to our faith communities, and examines how our society is responding to one of the greatest social transformations of our time.

One of the dynamics highlighted in the report is how unmarried women are affecting and being affected by this social transformation. There are currently more than 51 million single, separated, divorced, or widowed women in the United States. There are almost as many unmarried women as there are married women, and unmarried women are one of the fastest growing demographic groups. Unmarried women are also increasing their participation in electoral politics, but are still under-represented in relation to their share of the population.

“The book discusses the challenges that unmarried women workers face, especially single moms and female-headed households. Unmarried women need good jobs to support themselves and their families, and they need a system that supports them in taking care of their families,” said Page Gardner, founder and President of Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV). “At WVWV, we are finding ways to both engage and inform women on issues that matter most in their lives. Theirs is an important voice to be heard in the national conversation about modernizing public policies and business practices to better meet their circumstances.”

Gardner’s essay in the report, “Single in a Married-Centered World,” explores the unique challenges facing unmarried women in these times. You can read the essay here.

In conjunction with the report, WVWV also released a video with Gardner and Heather Boushey, a CAP senior economist and co-editor of the report, discussing how unmarried women are faring in the economy and the workplace. You can see the video of the interview here at WVWV’s website.