Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced today that he was lifting a military ban on women in combat, opening up thousands of positions on the front lines.

We often hear that women are more risk averse than men. Commentator Helaine Olen says yes, male and female investors may approach risk-taking differently, but that's not why women have less money to put away.

Equality for women has come a long way but still has a way to go according to the 2012 Global Gender Gap report. The report ranks countries on the access women have to education, economic opportunity, healthcare and political power.

Louisiana has one of the largest pay disparities between men and women in the U.S. But new legislation and a coastal restoration project may help bridge that gap.