To change things at the ballot box, we first have to know where we really stand both at home and in comparison to women in industrialized countries with economies and governments similar to our own.
Author: Martha Burk
Martha Burk is Money editor at Ms.
What’s at Stake this November: Pay Equity (Show Me the Money!)
The COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting effect on the pay gap, since more women have been forced to drop out of the workforce.
Even if new laws are passed, the fight won’t be over. With the Supreme Court already having narrowed women’s options in fighting pay discrimination, the choices in future elections and Court appointments become extremely important for passing stronger legislation and for safeguarding women from decisions that will further erode the few remedies available.
Health Care on Life Support? What’s at Stake in the Elections
It’s now a matter of weeks until Election Day, and women’s votes are more crucial this year than ever. We must have not only the will, but also a firm grasp of what we need to hold candidates at all levels accountable for policies that work toward social justice and equity for women.
Health care is a top issue on the minds of most voters. A great deal is at stake for women—not only because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the looming Supreme Court battle.
What’s at Stake: Access to Abortion
The right to reproductive choice and medical privacy is the single biggest issue at stake for women’s lives and health in the 2020 election and beyond. It is not only relevant to young women who may be faced with the abortion decision, but to all women who value their autonomy and privacy.
What’s at Stake: LGBTQ Civil Rights
When it comes to LGBTQ rights, President Trump says one thing but does another. The National Center for Transgender Equality cites at least 69 anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ actions since Trump took office.
Questions for 2020 Candidates:
* Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment to outlaw same–sex marriage?
* Do you support including LGBTQ citizens in laws that prohibit workplace and housing discrimination? Have you, or would you, co–sponsor the Equality Act to do that?
* Do you support President Trump’s rollbacks of transgender rights in the military, health care, and access to homeless shelters?
Education and Title IX: Back to “Separate But (Un)equal”
Despite its success, Title IX remains under constant attack, with rules and enforcement depending on which party controls the government.
Single-sex education has sprung up in the majority of states in violation of Title IX.
In addition to being against criminal law, sexual assaults are a violation under Title IX. The Trump administration has dealt enforcement the biggest setback in decades.
Our (Sick) System of Sick Leave, Maternity Leave and Family Leave
There are no federal laws guaranteeing sick leave or maternity leave for employees in the United States.
And on the subject of paid parental leave, once again, the U.S. lags behind the world. Out of 193 countries in the United Nations, only a handful lack a national paid parental leave: New Guinea, Suriname, a few South Pacific island nations—and the United States.
It’s up to women to pose the hard questions and determine whether a candidate supports family-friendly workplaces or not.
What’s at Stake: Your Family’s Child Care
About half of child care providers have been forced to close due to COVID-19, and many face the possibility of permanent closure. The COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a permanent loss of nearly 4.5 million child care slots, leaving millions of families without the child care they need to return to work.
Right now Congress is appropriating literally trillions to keep businesses afloat in a post-corona economy. Are families less important?
Republican Stalling on HEROES Act Will Hurt Women and Essential Workers
With the CARES Act sunsetting in July, it’s all too obvious more help is needed. The HEROES Act both builds on the CARES Act and corrects some flaws. But the big rock in the road to HEROES assistance are Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
Women Were Hit Hardest By Record Job Losses. Where’s Our Safety Net?
The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 14.7 percent—the highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But taking a closer look at exactly which Americans lost their jobs, we see one huge difference from the massive crisis of the Great Depression: This one has a predominantly female face. A massive rebuilding program—with guarantees for hiring women—is in order.