Women want more from Congress than just talk

The recent mid-term election campaign saw many candidates desperate to sell themselves as having the “edge” on women’s issues.  From equal pay to work-family policy to women’s health, candidates rebranded themselves and their records with the promise that they would have women’s backs.  Now with a new Congress – and a new Republican majority – in charge, it’s time to see whose words had real substance behind them. If lawmakers are serious about doing something to help, there are several policies they can pursue to improve the lives of women and their families. 

First, lawmakers must take concrete action to combat pay discrimination.  Women consistently say equal pay is a top concern, but Democratic proposals on reducing the pay gap have yet to garner Republican support.  Although candidates from both parties repeatedly profess support for equal pay, words alone are not enough: there must be a real commitment to enforcement to ensure the law actually works.  

{mosads}Lawmakers should require employers to report their pay data on an annual, confidential basis.  Employers have resisted this requirement, but it should not be controversial – it’s common sense that equal pay laws cannot be enforced effectively if enforcement officials lack information showing where pay disparities exist.  Further, lawmakers should take steps to prevent retaliation or dismissal if a woman or man discusses their pay with a co-worker, otherwise it would be virtually impossible to bring discriminatory pay practices to light.  And, lawmakers should look at ways to strengthen the law, such as closing loopholes that have limited women’s ability to challenge pay differences successfully.    

Second, lawmakers must do more to address women’s work-family challenges. Most people – men and women alike — will experience a caregiving dilemma at some point in their lives, whether it involves children, aging parents, other family members, or even themselves.  Many will struggle with the same questions: how to find help, how to take time off from work, how to secure safe and high quality care, and how to pay for it.  These are not solely “women’s issues,” but they often fall on women to address. 

Greater access to paid leave, scheduling flexibility, and child care are all actions Congress should take to help.  More and more policymakers and business leaders agree that paid leave policies are good for business and workers. Paid leave helps retain talented employees who need time off for life events, and improve the business bottom line through reduced turnover and increased productivity.  Increasingly, states and cities are pursuing access to different types of paid leave – from paid sick days to paid family leave. The last election saw four out of four paid sick days victories at the ballot box, indicating a growing consensus across the country.  Such measures are especially important for families of color and low-income families, both of whom are less likely to work for employers who offer such policies. 

In addition to paid leave, Congress should protect workers from erratic scheduling practices. For many workers, particularly low-income workers, last minute work schedule changes can wreak havoc with child care or other family arrangements.  Just requiring more predictability in hours, or being able to ask for a flexible schedule without fear of losing a job, is critical. 

Congress also should address challenges facing families with children, where most parents now work.  Parents cannot work unless they know their children have appropriate care.  Due to skyrocketing costs – the average cost for two children in center-based care exceeds median rents in every state – there are too few affordable, quality child care options for parents to use.  These costs are difficult for most families, but particularly for single moms – who are disproportionately women of color – struggling to make ends meet.  Congress should invest in early childhood programs and expand access to child care to ensure children can grow and thrive. 

Third, lawmakers must protect and not undermine  women’s health.  Women must be able to make health care decisions in consultation with their health care providers, not their elected officials.  Yet access to basic reproductive health care has been consistently targeted in Congress.  Several Republican candidates – most notably in Colorado and North Carolina – sought to soften or conceal their longstanding opposition to comprehensive access during the midterm campaigns.  But the time for posturing is over.  Currently, under the Affordable Care Act, contraception is covered without any cost-sharing such as co-payments for the patient.  This is essential for all women but particularly low-income women, for whom contraception otherwise might be out of reach.   

Promises made during the heat of a campaign often make for good sound-bites, but they mean little if they’re not backed up by action.  Most women want more from lawmakers than just talk; they want real solutions that can work in real life.  Members of Congress now have the opportunity to show whether their words can measure up. 

Frye is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where her work focuses on a wide range of women’s issues, including work-family balance, pay equity, and women’s leadership.