Post by thenexttweety on Aug 26, 2005 20:51:50 GMT -5
August 26, 2005 - WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY
Today, Americans celebrate Women's Equality Day, which marks the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, giving women the right to vote. In 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26 "Women's Equality Day," under the leadership of then-Congresswoman Bella Abzug (NY). A culmination of a 70-year struggle for women suffragists, this day of recognition serves as a reminder to all Americans of women's continued struggle to gain full equality in the United States.
With 80 women Members of Congress and thousands of women legislators around the country, we have made great strides. As we reflect on the gains women have made, the Senate prepares to consider the nomination to the Supreme Court, and we are reminded of just how critical it is that we have a nominee who will continue to move forward, not turn back the hands of time for women in America.
Since the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the wage gap has closed by half a cent on the dollar per year. Yet, there is much work to do. According to the 2004 United States Census, currently, women earn just 76 cents on the dollar compared with men. The Census Bureau reported that in 2003, median annual earnings for full-time working women declined to $30,724 - while men's earnings remained unchanged, at $40,668. [University Wire, 4/21/05; Institute for Women's Policy Research, 8/27/04]
Women students have outnumbered male students since 1978. In 2000 there were 2 million more women than men enrolled in college. In the United States, 200,000 more women than men earned a bachelor's degree in 2004. While men comprise 51 percent of the college-age population in the United States, women account for 54 percent of full-time college students, earn more than 56 percent of the bachelor's degrees every year, and graduate in four years or less at a rate 10 percent higher than that of men. [Pell Institute; Bradenton Herald, 5/22/05; National Center for Education Statistics; University Wire, 4/15/05]
Title IX allowed more than 2.8 million girls to compete in high school sports in 2004 -- a 900 percent increase since 1972. In 1971-72, only 294,000 girls in comparison to 3.7 million boys played varsity sports in the nation's high schools. Thirty years later, in 2001-2002, boys' participation had increased slightly, to less than 4 million. That year, 2.8 million girls played high school varsity sports. In 1971-72, men in college sports outnumbered women by 170,384 to 29,977 -- nearly six to one. Thirty years later, women's participation had increased more than five-fold, and the numbers were 212,140 men to 155,513 women. [The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, 7/24/05]
NEW RESEARCH SHOWS IMPACT OF WOMEN VOTERS
Women's roles in politics have gained new visibility, according to the Center for Women in Politics (CAWP), a nonpartisan group that looks at women's roles including as voters, donors and political candidates. On Women's Equality Day, CAWP has prepared a snapshot that shows "women have outvoted men for many years and that, as a group, they frequently vote differently from men." CAWP data shows that in 2005, 85 years after winning our right to vote:
• More women than men register to vote. Some 68.7 million women were registered to vote in 2000 compared to 59.4 million men.
• In every presidential election since 1964, the number of female voters has exceeded the number of male voters. In 2004, 67.3 million women, compared with 58.5 million men, reported voting.
• Women outvoted men in 2004 - both in terms of turnout rates and actual numbers - in every racial and ethnic group: African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and white. For Asian/Pacific Islanders, 2004 was the first election where women voted at a higher rate than men.
• A gender gap - defined as the difference between the proportion of women and the proportion of men voting for the winning candidate - has appeared in every presidential election since 1980, averaging 7.7 percentage points from 1980 to 2000.
You can view the entire report and view additional research about women voters and candidates at: www.cawp.rutgers.edu/.
To commemorate Women's Equality Day, Leslie Byrne, nominee for Lt. Governor in Virginia, kicked off a new women's vote outreach program called TAKE FIVE in '05. Byrne unveiled the Take Five in '05 program to "empower volunteer leaders all over Virginia to reach out to their female neighbors who don't vote in every election," There are 740,284 Virginia women who voted in 2004 but not in 2001, which was the last statewide election. Byrne and her ticket know grassroots outreach will help women voters understand what's at stake in November. Virginia will elect a Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and members of the Virginia House of Delegates on November 8, 2005.
PAYCUTS SHORTCHANGE MILITARY FAMILIES
Activated National Guard And Reserve Soldiers Took Paycuts. Surveys in 2004 showed that 40 percent of reservists and National Guard soldiers make less money while mobilized than they earned in their civilian jobs. Surveys of all Guard and reserve personnel found that among mobilized troops whose pay was cut, the average reduction was $3,000, although some took pay cuts in the tens of thousands. [Washington Post, 11/11/04]
GAO Report Cites Massive and Widespread Pay Problems for Activated National Guard Soldiers. A January 2004 GAO report studied six different Army Guard units and found Army Guard soldiers were being denied timely and accurate payroll payments. The report found that, "Overall, 450 of the 481 (94 percent) Army Guard soldiers from our six case study units had at least one pay problem associated with their mobilization. [GAO Report, "Army National Guard Personnel Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 1/28/04]
HEALTH CARE FOR RESERVISTS
Congressman Douglas Hunter, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, removed a provision from the Defense Department budget that would extend TRICARE health coverage to all reservists and their families. In an attempt to justify his actions, Hunter stated that, in fact, Reservists and their families have TRICARE coverage from 90 days before mobilization until at least 120 days after they return, so extended coverage was not needed. [Biloxi Sun Herald, 5/28/05]
Today, Americans celebrate Women's Equality Day, which marks the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, giving women the right to vote. In 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26 "Women's Equality Day," under the leadership of then-Congresswoman Bella Abzug (NY). A culmination of a 70-year struggle for women suffragists, this day of recognition serves as a reminder to all Americans of women's continued struggle to gain full equality in the United States.
With 80 women Members of Congress and thousands of women legislators around the country, we have made great strides. As we reflect on the gains women have made, the Senate prepares to consider the nomination to the Supreme Court, and we are reminded of just how critical it is that we have a nominee who will continue to move forward, not turn back the hands of time for women in America.
Since the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the wage gap has closed by half a cent on the dollar per year. Yet, there is much work to do. According to the 2004 United States Census, currently, women earn just 76 cents on the dollar compared with men. The Census Bureau reported that in 2003, median annual earnings for full-time working women declined to $30,724 - while men's earnings remained unchanged, at $40,668. [University Wire, 4/21/05; Institute for Women's Policy Research, 8/27/04]
Women students have outnumbered male students since 1978. In 2000 there were 2 million more women than men enrolled in college. In the United States, 200,000 more women than men earned a bachelor's degree in 2004. While men comprise 51 percent of the college-age population in the United States, women account for 54 percent of full-time college students, earn more than 56 percent of the bachelor's degrees every year, and graduate in four years or less at a rate 10 percent higher than that of men. [Pell Institute; Bradenton Herald, 5/22/05; National Center for Education Statistics; University Wire, 4/15/05]
Title IX allowed more than 2.8 million girls to compete in high school sports in 2004 -- a 900 percent increase since 1972. In 1971-72, only 294,000 girls in comparison to 3.7 million boys played varsity sports in the nation's high schools. Thirty years later, in 2001-2002, boys' participation had increased slightly, to less than 4 million. That year, 2.8 million girls played high school varsity sports. In 1971-72, men in college sports outnumbered women by 170,384 to 29,977 -- nearly six to one. Thirty years later, women's participation had increased more than five-fold, and the numbers were 212,140 men to 155,513 women. [The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, 7/24/05]
NEW RESEARCH SHOWS IMPACT OF WOMEN VOTERS
Women's roles in politics have gained new visibility, according to the Center for Women in Politics (CAWP), a nonpartisan group that looks at women's roles including as voters, donors and political candidates. On Women's Equality Day, CAWP has prepared a snapshot that shows "women have outvoted men for many years and that, as a group, they frequently vote differently from men." CAWP data shows that in 2005, 85 years after winning our right to vote:
• More women than men register to vote. Some 68.7 million women were registered to vote in 2000 compared to 59.4 million men.
• In every presidential election since 1964, the number of female voters has exceeded the number of male voters. In 2004, 67.3 million women, compared with 58.5 million men, reported voting.
• Women outvoted men in 2004 - both in terms of turnout rates and actual numbers - in every racial and ethnic group: African American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and white. For Asian/Pacific Islanders, 2004 was the first election where women voted at a higher rate than men.
• A gender gap - defined as the difference between the proportion of women and the proportion of men voting for the winning candidate - has appeared in every presidential election since 1980, averaging 7.7 percentage points from 1980 to 2000.
You can view the entire report and view additional research about women voters and candidates at: www.cawp.rutgers.edu/.
To commemorate Women's Equality Day, Leslie Byrne, nominee for Lt. Governor in Virginia, kicked off a new women's vote outreach program called TAKE FIVE in '05. Byrne unveiled the Take Five in '05 program to "empower volunteer leaders all over Virginia to reach out to their female neighbors who don't vote in every election," There are 740,284 Virginia women who voted in 2004 but not in 2001, which was the last statewide election. Byrne and her ticket know grassroots outreach will help women voters understand what's at stake in November. Virginia will elect a Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and members of the Virginia House of Delegates on November 8, 2005.
PAYCUTS SHORTCHANGE MILITARY FAMILIES
Activated National Guard And Reserve Soldiers Took Paycuts. Surveys in 2004 showed that 40 percent of reservists and National Guard soldiers make less money while mobilized than they earned in their civilian jobs. Surveys of all Guard and reserve personnel found that among mobilized troops whose pay was cut, the average reduction was $3,000, although some took pay cuts in the tens of thousands. [Washington Post, 11/11/04]
GAO Report Cites Massive and Widespread Pay Problems for Activated National Guard Soldiers. A January 2004 GAO report studied six different Army Guard units and found Army Guard soldiers were being denied timely and accurate payroll payments. The report found that, "Overall, 450 of the 481 (94 percent) Army Guard soldiers from our six case study units had at least one pay problem associated with their mobilization. [GAO Report, "Army National Guard Personnel Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 1/28/04]
HEALTH CARE FOR RESERVISTS
Congressman Douglas Hunter, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, removed a provision from the Defense Department budget that would extend TRICARE health coverage to all reservists and their families. In an attempt to justify his actions, Hunter stated that, in fact, Reservists and their families have TRICARE coverage from 90 days before mobilization until at least 120 days after they return, so extended coverage was not needed. [Biloxi Sun Herald, 5/28/05]
