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2012
Get Out the Vote initiative
Top Ten Historic Advances for Women’s Lives Now at Risk
1. Women’s Right to Vote (1920)
The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920,
guaranteed American women the right to vote, although many women of
color did not win full voting rights until 45 years later under the 1965
Voting Rights Act. Currently women surpass men both in the proportion
and numbers of women who vote.
Threat:
Instead of advocating a 21st century voting system that is inclusive,
conservative legislatures in 30 states are attempting to turn the clock
back to the 19th century when only privileged white males were allowed
to vote. Newly imposed ID requirements target students, people of color
and women. As many as 32 million women of voting age do not have
documentation with their current legal name.
2. Social Security Act (1935)
Social Security is the bedrock of older women’s financial security –
virtually the only source of income for 3 in 10 women 65 and older – and
a critical source of disability and life insurance protection
throughout their lives.
Threat:
Bills introduced by conservative Members of Congress would gut the
current Social Security program and disproportionately impact women’s
economic security. The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction could
propose benefit cuts, such as a reduction in the annual cost-of-living
adjustment that would especially hurt women, or an increase in the
retirement age.
3. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Taken together, these laws prohibit employment on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, including pregnancy, and national origin. The
Equal Pay Act deals specifically with pay discrimination on the basis of
sex. Title VII covers all employment actions, including hiring,
promotion, pay, and termination, as well as all of the other terms and
conditions of employment. Both have been central to expanding women’s
economic opportunities and helping women achieve economic and retirement
security.
Threat:
Recent rulings by the conservative majority of the Supreme Court have
weakened employment discrimination laws, placing women’s rights in the
workplace in jeopardy and actions by conservative Senators have
undermined efforts to restore these acts and strengthen employment
protections for women, including filibustering the Paycheck Fairness Act
in 2010.
4. Medicare (1965)
Medicare is the nation’s health insurance program for seniors and
younger adults with permanent disabilities. More than half (56%) of all
Medicare beneficiaries are women.
Threat:
The conservative majority of the House of Representative passed a fiscal
year 2012 budget bill that will effectivelyend Medicare and replace it
for those now under 55 with a voucher to buy private insurance. It would
increase out-of-pocket health care costs, limit benefits and severely
restrict the choice of doctors.
5. Medicaid (1965)
Medicaid provides 19 million women access to vital health services at
all stages of their lives. In 2007 nearly seven in ten elderly
individuals who relied on Medicaid for assistance were women.
Additionally, Medicaid covers millions of mothers and more than
one-third of all children.
Threat:
Under the conservative House budget, Medicaid was targeted for deep
budget cuts and converted into capped block grants to states. Medicaid
still faces threats as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
deliberates and identifies at least an additional $1.2 trillion in
budget cuts.
6. Title X, The National Family Planning Program (1970)
Title X is the only dedicated source of federal funding for family
planning services in the United States. Title X provides family planning
and other preventive health care to more than 5 million low-income and
uninsured women who may otherwise lack access to health care.
Threat:
For the first time in history, the U.S. House of Representatives voted
to completely defund Title X in 2011. Nine states have reduced family
planning funding through legislative action and one (NJ) has eliminated
it through the governor’s veto.
7. Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972)
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education
programs or activities. Title IX greatly expanded equal access to
college education, professional and graduate schools and dramatically
increased equal access to sports opportunities so that today girls and
women represent over 40% of all college and high school athletes. Title
IX also plays a vital role in increasing gender equity in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by improving
the climate for women in those fields.
Threat:
A combination of administrative budget cuts, regulations, private school
vouchers schemes, and pressure from congressional opponents threatens
to weaken enforcement of Title IX.
8. Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision (1973)
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Roe v. Wade that a right to
privacy under the 14th Amendment extended to a women’s decision to have
an abortion.
Threat:
Anti-abortion Members of Congress have introduced legislation that would
make all abortions illegal and essentially overturn Roe v. Wade. In
2011, over 1,000 pieces of legislation have been introduced and 162
bills have been passed at the state level to restrict access to abortion
and/or family planning.
9. The Violence Against Women Act (1994)
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) created the first U.S. federal
legislation acknowledging the severity of crimes related to domestic
violence, sexual assault, stalking, and violence against women.
Threat:
VAWA will expire at the end of 2011 unless it is reauthorized. The law
needs to be updated and strengthened, including the addition of
provisions that will help protect students on campus who are
consistently subject to sexual harassment, assault and violence. Despite
this, no action has yet been taken to ensure VAWA is reauthorized.
10. The Affordable Care Act (2010)
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) covers maternity care, eliminates
pre-existing conditions and prevents health plans from charging women
more than men for the same coverage. ACA also covers well-woman
preventive health services, such as an annual well-woman visit,
contraceptives, mammograms, cancer screenings, prenatal care and
counseling for domestic violence, as basic health care for women at no
additional cost and includes the first federal ban on sex discrimination
in health care programs and activities. Combined with other provisions,
the ACA is an historic step forward for women’s health and economic
security.
Threat:
The House of Representatives voted to repeal the ACA. Conservative
senators, state legislators and governors have also pledged to repeal
ACA and deny women, of all ages, critical preventive care services.
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