NWLC Proud to Support Women's Economic Agenda

(Washington, D.C.) Earlier today, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) proudly joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues, allied organizations and supporters on the steps of the Capitol for the release of When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families, an agenda that seeks to address many of the economic challenges facing women and families today.

“The title of today’s economic agenda says it best: when women succeed, America succeeds,” said NWLC Co-President Marcia D. Greenberger. “Women make up just over half the American population. They are workers, caregivers, and more and more, their families’ primary breadwinners. America depends on the hard work of women.”

Yet the numbers tell a troubling story about women’s economic security and opportunities. The average American woman is still typically paid only 77 cents to every dollar paid to her male counterpart. Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women. Approximately two-thirds of American women with young children work, yet high-quality and affordable child care options are scarce. Nearly half of full-time workers, women and men, are not covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, and a far greater number do not have employer-provided family and medical leave.

When Women Succeed, America Succeeds addresses issues of critical importance to women and their families, including: 1) Raising wages, ensuring paycheck fairness and protecting against employment discrimination; 2) Expanding workers’ access to paid leave to care for themselves, their children or other family members; 3) Improving families’ ability to find and afford quality child care.

“The Center shares and is deeply committed to the core values expressed in the economic agenda released today: namely, advancing and protecting women’s equality and opportunity,” said NWLC Co-President Nancy Duff Campbell. “Enactment of this agenda would make a profound and positive impact on the daily lives of women and their families. We are proud to support this agenda and look forward to working with its supporters in Congress to make it a reality.”

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