28/08/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 29/08/2024 16:03
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It's 2024, and women still aren't equal under the law.
Inequality impacts our health: although women pay $15 million more each year for health care than men, we spend more of our lives in poor health. Those who may experience pregnancy no longer have reproductive freedom; and when we do give birth, we (particularly women of color) face high rates of maternal mortality.
It impacts our work: we're paid less than our male counterparts and are underrepresented in leadership roles. We also deal with workplace harassment, insufficient maternal leave, and disproportionate caretaking responsibilities that affect our ability to work.
It impacts our representation: women are severely underrepresented in politics, making up only 25% of the Senate, 29% of the House, and 31.9% of statewide elective executives.
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How can we make policies that protect and serve women without more women in office? And in an age where our basic freedoms and bodily autonomy are under fire, how can we ensure our rights aren't degraded further?
The 2024 federal election is a critical moment in the fight for our equality. The people we elect in November will be in charge of our rights for the next four years.
That's why our 2024 Women's Inequality Day campaign is all about empowering women voters ahead of the November election.
We've identified five unique ways you can empower women voters and our allies in advance of the upcoming election. While we highlighted these actions during the week of August 26 - 30, you can take them at any point to empower the women voters in your life!
When it comes to social issues, studies suggest that people consider their close friends to be the most trustworthy messengers. We trust the people close to us at higher rates than we trust news anchors, politicians, social media influencers, and many other educators.
That's why it's essential for everyday people to share information about civic participation with our communities.
Consider one of the messages below (or your own) with our image above!
Don't just empower your community - empower yourself! As a fighter for equality, you should ensure you're ready to make your voice heard at the ballot box.
Check your registration (or register if you haven't) at VOTE411.org!
Elections can't happen without poll workers, who ensure fair and equal access to the polls. And women are our most active poll workers, outnumbering men by 2:1!
Yet, due to reports of recent harassment of poll workers and other factors, poll worker recruitment has become a major challenge.
By becoming a poll worker, you'll empower your community to cast their ballots and possibly inspire your loved ones to get involved, too! Grab a friend and sign up together!
Women hold enormous power in our elections; in fact, in the 2022 midterm, women nationwide voted at higher rates than men! Unsurprisingly, we also elected a record number of female governors, though we still have a long way to go before we gain fair representation.
See how women voters in your states did and how factors like age and race played a part.
You've probably heard the term "voter apathy" before. It refers to the concept of being unengaged and disinterested in casting one's ballot.
The best way to counter apathy is to show people the real, everyday reasons why voting matters. It's one thing to say you're voting "blue" or "red." It's another thing to say you're voting because of workplace discrimination, maternal mortality rates, equal educational opportunities, or any of the other issues that impact women and our allies every day.
Let people know which issues you're voting for and invite them to share their responses with the graphic above!
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August 26, otherwise known as Women's Equality Day, marks the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment.
Yet today, fewer rights than they'd had in decades. In August 2022, we launched our campaign for Women's Inequality Day, uniting to demand that lawmakers restore and protect our rights.
We pulled US Census to get a snapshot of how women are voting. It made one thing clear: the next election is up to women.
See our map showing the power of women voters in 2022 and our graph on registered voters from 2004-2022 by the numbers.
WASHINGTON, DC - Leading up to Women's Equality Day, the League of Women Voters of the United States and League chapters from all 50 states and the District of Columbia sent a letter to the White House and members of Congress urging action for the immediate publication of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the US Constitution. December 2024 marks 101 years since the ERA was first introduced in Congress.
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