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A Fair Shot

A Fair Shot

There is no question that the role of women in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades, but substantial inequalities remain. Introducing the Fair Shot campaign: A Plan for Women and Families to Get Ahead.

Women and Families Deserve a Fair Shot to Get Ahead and Not Just Get By

There is no question that the role of women in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades. More and more women have entered the workforce, won public office, earned victories for their health rights, and accomplished many other advancements. But substantial inequalities remain in all of these areas. As we rebuild our economy and seek to rise to the challenges of the future, we cannot afford to leave women behind.

With that in mind, last week our friends at the Center for American Progress, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Service Employees International Union, and American Women joined together to launch the Fair Shot Campaign: A Plan for Women and Families to Get Ahead. The campaign focuses on three interrelated goals:

  • 1. Economic security: 40 percent of women are breadwinners, yet women still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Women deserve a fair chance to succeed in the workplace, and deserve to have workplaces that are more responsive to the needs of working families.
  • 2. Leadership: Women hold 52 percent of all professional-level jobs, but only 4.2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 18 percent of Congress members are women. It’s time to promote women’s leadership in the workplace, government, and elsewhere.
  • 3. Health: It’s been 40 years since Roe v. Wade, but women still contend with restrictive laws, rules, and regulations meant to challenge their rights and freedoms. And far too many women remain uninsured. Women deserve laws, led by the Affordable Care Act, that protect their rights and make affordable health care more accessible.

    • Women nationwide face inequalities, but there is also wide variance in how women fare across the 50 states. A new CAP report out today details these disparities. The report ranks all 50 states along 36 factors related to women’s economic security, leadership, and health. Check out the interactive map below to see how your state stacks up:

    BOTTOM LINE: An overwhelming majority of people–women and men, Republicans and Democrats–support policies such as equal pay, paid sick days, and paid family leave that would increase the opportunity for women and families to get a fair shot at success. So what are we waiting for?

    The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

    Authors

    Advocacy Team