CA LWC Commemorates Women’s Equality Day, Celebrates Record-Setting US Women’s Olympic Team

SACRAMENTO - The California Legislative Women's Caucus (LWC) on Monday commemorated Women's Equality Day 2024 and celebrated the incredible record-setting performance of the U.S. Women's Olympic Team. American women dominated the Olympic Games, taking home a whopping 67 medals - more than half of the U.S. total of 126.

"We can thank Title IX for getting us to today," said LWC Chair Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, referring to the federal gender equity law. "Title IX didn't just say, 'oh we hope sports and other programs will be more equitable.' It mandated that our educational and other institutions put as much effort and dollars into athletics and other programs for women as is done for men. We are reaping those benefits. Title IX gave U.S. women the baton, and they carried that baton across the finish line - and onto the medal podium."

"It's fitting that on Women's Equality Day we also celebrate the record-breaking performance of the U.S. Women's Olympic Team," added LWC Vice Chair Asm. Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters. "From Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky to Gabby Thomas and the women's basketball and soccer teams, the U.S. women truly were golden. American women not only out-performed their male counterparts on the medal stand, they out-performed nearly every other nation."

Women's Equality Day 2024 commemorates the 104th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment and women's right to vote. During the past century, women have made great strides toward gender parity, but there is still plenty of work to do. In the workplace, women overall still only earn 84 cents for every dollar a man makes, while women of color - Latinas, Black women, and Indigenous women - receive even less. Economic opportunities for women-owned businesses and startups also continue to lag far behind those run by men.

When it comes to reproductive rights, the United States has been heading in the wrong direction since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In the past two years, 22 states have instituted bans or severe restrictions on abortions.

California, by contrast, has been a beacon for women's rights. Not only is the right to abortion and contraception enshrined in our state constitution, but California has forward-thinking equal pay laws, and we've improved our parental leave and sick pay laws and our pay equity and investment equity disclosure laws. Plus, we've boosted wages for essential child care workers, who are now the first in the nation to have state-supported retirement benefits.

And with the Olympics closing on Sunday, California women helped lead the U.S. Women's team to historic heights. Overall, U.S. women won an eye-popping 26 gold medals - 65% percent of the total golds won by the U.S. team. And U.S. women won more medals than any other nation except the U.S. overall team and China.

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