National Women's Law Center

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Contact: Ranit Schmelzer or Adrienne Ammerman, 202-588-5180

POLL: WOMEN PESSIMISTIC ON ECONOMY, WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE
Women Believe Government Must Act; NWLC Releases Platform for Progress

( Washington, DC) Women feel the impact of economic insecurity and rising food, energy, education, and health care costs more deeply than men – and see government as a key to the solution, the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) announced today.

According to a newly released poll conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the National Women’s Law Center, women are significantly more pessimistic than men in their attitudes about the status quo in America, both on a societal level and in terms of their own lives. Women are more likely than men to feel that they are falling behind economically, and are more likely than men to be worried and concerned about their economic prospects.

“Women today face enormous challenges,” states Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center. “They often struggle to achieve economic security and health care that meets their needs, and face difficulties securing access to equal education and employment opportunities.”

The statistics are alarming: One in four girls drops out of high school. More than 14 million women live in poverty, and more than 17 million women have no health insurance. Women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. When women volunteer the most important issues facing American women today, they are most likely to cite: health care issues (including women’s health issues); pay for women and the issue of equal pay; opportunities for women in the work place; education; child care issues; and women’s rights in general.

Regardless of age, income, and education, more than half of women (55%) feel that the government should do more to solve problems and help meet people’s needs.

“Women in this country are sending a clear message that they expect our government to do better when it comes to expanding opportunities for women and their families,” states Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-President of the Center. “NWLC is here to make sure that the government is listening.”

The National Women’s Law Center released today its Platform for Progress – an agenda to address the unmet needs of women and their families in the areas of education, employment, economic security, health, and legal rights. Steps include:

· Reduce the number of uninsured women by creating a health care system that leaves no one out, provides comprehensive benefits, is simple to use and understand, and is sufficiently and fairly financed.

o Two-thirds of women (66%) say that the nation’s approach to health care needs either major changes or a complete overhaul.

o 84 percent of women say it is extremely or very important for Congress and the next Administration to guarantee access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health care.

· Close the wage gap and ensure women are paid fairly by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Fair Pay Act.

o 77 percent of women say that it is extremely or very important to provide women with the legal protections they need to get equal pay.

· Expand access to affordable birth control, invest in comprehensive sex education, and protect Roe v. Wade.

o Two-thirds (64%) of women say that it is extremely or very important for Congress and the next administration to address policies that will help prevent unintended pregnancies by expanding access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education.

· Ensure access to high-quality child care by requiring that care meet basic health and safety standards, funding statewide quality rating systems to promote higher quality care, increasing the reimbursement rate for child care assistance, supporting initiatives targeted to expanding access to high-quality infant and toddler care, doubling the number of children receiving child care assistance, increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and increasing funding for Head Start and Early Education.

o Three in four women (75%) favor increasing government funding to ensure that parents have access to quality child care and early education.

· Help women move out of poverty by increasing the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit, expanding the Child Tax Credit, improving child support enforcement, eliminating arbitrary barriers in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income programs, and expanding access to unemployment insurance.

o Three-quarters of women (75%) say we still must do more or that we still have a long way to go in providing families with economic security so they can afford their current needs and plan for a secure retirement, 80 percent say we should develop a comprehensive plan to cut poverty in half over the next ten years, and 82 percent say it is extremely or very important to invest in child support enforcement.

· Reduce the school dropout rate for girls by requiring schools to monitor dropout rates and provide dropout prevention programs targeted toward the needs of girls, including pregnant and parenting students.

o 81 percent of women state that it is extremely or very important to develop and fund effective drop-out prevention programs to keep both girls and boys in high school through graduation.

· Promote a fair and independent judiciary.

o 91 percent of women agree that we should work to confirm federal judges who have records that demonstrate respect for long-standing fundamental rights, including equal rights for women and basic privacy protections.

The results of the poll are based on 1,001 interviews among a national cross-section of women who are registered voters, with a companion sample of 307 men. The interviews were conducted from July 17 to July 24, 2008.

To learn more, view the Peter D. Hart Research Associates Poll, and the complete NWLC agenda. To learn more about NWLC or to schedule an interview with Marcia Greenberger or Nancy Duff Campbell, contact Adrienne Ammerman at 202-588-5180 or aammerman@nwlc.org.

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