Issue Position: Fighting for Women's Rights

Issue Position

American women have made great strides since the first women's right convention in 1848. Today, women are central to America's workforce, in business small and large, in public service, and in our homes. That is why Rosa has developed When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women & Families.

Pay Equity and Access to Employment
Rosa believes strongly in women getting equal pay for equal work. Achieving equal pay for women would increase wages for thousands of households and bring thousands of families out of poverty.

Rosa introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in the House of Representatives in January 2009, and the bill was passed by the House on January 9, 2009. The bill strengthens the laws against pay discrimination and closes loopholes through which employers can avoid liability for wage discrimination. Rosa will continue to fight for pay equity, as she has for her entire career in Congress.

Rosa also believes that we must work to increase women's access to employment in the changing economy. She has sponsored legislation that would provide training and support to workers who support families, so that they may obtain high-tech jobs and participate in the new economy.

Women's Health
Rosa recognizes the unique challenges that women face in obtaining access to the health care that they need. She has fought to protect women's reproductive rights, consistently voting to maintain and increase access to safe medical care for pregnant women. In addition, she has introduced legislation focused on prevention of unwanted pregnancy, increasing access to contraceptives and expansion of family planning services to inform pregnant women and girls about all of their options.

Rosa has worked to secure coverage for necessary procedures. Her Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support, ensures that decisions about the duration of hospital stay after a mastectomy procedure will be made by a woman and her doctor, rather than by an insurance company.

Finally, the Affordable Care Act has dramatically improved American women's access to medical care, and has ended the shameful practice by insurance companies of charging women more for health insurance.

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