The Nexus Executive Women’s Alliance, which began in 1978 to provide professional, business and personal support among its members, found that although girls and young women consistently perform in the top percentage of area high schools and the state’s three regent universities, that success does not translate into “positions of peak earning power and leadership.”

Linda Kinman, who was one of several researchers for the report and is the public policy analyst for Des Moines Water Works, said one of the most important findings was the consistently low number of women representatives in state government.

Since the group first conducted the Nexus Index in 2004, the percentage of female legislators has hovered between 20 and 23 percent. In 2012, the state ranks 33rd among the 50 states, with 21.3 percent of Iowa legislators being women.

Likewise, since 1838 there have only been two female justices appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court. Iowa is also one of two states to have never elected a female to Congress or as governor — the other state being Mississippi.

Women’s voices are being stifled in board rooms as well as government. A look at Iowa’s 11 largest Iowa companies shows that in 2010, 16 percent of members on the various boards of directors were women.

However, the report was not all negative. Kinman said there has been an increase in the percentage of female shareholders, partners and members of Central Iowa law firms since the first report was published.

“Part of the reason we conduct the Nexus Index is to generate questions,” Kinman said. “Now we need to work with other women’s group to start finding answers.”

To view the whole report, click here.