Priorities

WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

A recent White House report documents the pervasive and persistent wage gap women still face in the workplace. According to the report, women, who now comprise half of the labor force, continue to make on average roughly 75 cents for every dollar that a man makes for comparable work.  (In California that number is 84 cents.)  Analyses of long-term outcomes show more troubling disparities: Women continue to be poor in higher numbers and rely on social safety nets in higher numbers than do men. This is despite the fact that women are making great strides in education, experiencing higher graduation rates from high school than men, as well as similar—but rapidly increasing—rates of college graduation.

While the workforce has shifted – our laws and policies remain stagnant.  Child care, maternity and family leaves are woefully inadequate to match not only the make-up of our workforce, but our emphasis on family and children.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

We are in a moment of changing attitudes about health care.  Federal healthcare reform, ensuring that uninsured citizens will now be insured, will benefit the women of our state and nation.  Breast health and reproductive health are two areas that impact women significantly – we have to remain diligent in our efforts to protect women’s rights and ensure a strong presence within women-based healthcare in our new systems.

WOMEN IN THE BUDGET

California’s state budget is based on the premise of a “shared sacrifice” but rarely is that the case.  Women’s needs within the safety net are consistently cut.  CalWORKS rates are at the same level they were in the early 90s, yet rent, cars, food, and child care are significantly more expensive.  We need to make sure that women are not continually targeted in the state budget by educating the Legislature, Administration and general public as to their significance to our state’s recovery.

WOMEN IN THE MEDIA

Media's inequities on and off-screen have fed a cultural backlash against women's advancement and contributed to the increasing violence against women and girls.  We are working with various entities, including the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Miss Representation (a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that has inspired a movement), to find ways California can lead the nation on educational policy and socially responsible business practices that will curb mainstream media's damaging effects on our culture.

WOMEN IN THE MILITARY AND MILITARY FAMILIES

Women in the military and military families continue to be a priority area for the Legislative Women's Caucus. We continue to work with the California National Guard (CNG) and the newly appointed Adjutant General David Baldwin to address the needs of military service women and their families. Through our coordinated efforts, we are assisting the CNG in developing a survey that will go out to all National Guard service members before the end of 2011 that will include topics pertaining to mental health (both of service member and family) and child care.

WOMEN IN POLITICS

The Legislative Women’s Caucus works with several bipartisan organizations to determine why women run and do not run for office.  Studies have shown that the more women who serve in legislatures the stronger family-friendly policies are enacted.