Issue Position: Women's Rights

Issue Position

What's Wrong

Despite decades of progress, women working full time make only 78 cents for every one dollar earned by men for the same job, while working mothers earn just 69 cents to that dollar.

Women make less money than men, but have to pay more for health care. More than 20 million women currently lack health care, and two-thirds of uninsured women fail to get the care they need because of high costs. Women pay significantly more in out-of-pocket expenses than men.

And in the workplace, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that 3.5 million workers cannot afford to take advantage of unpaid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Women shouldn't have to choose between their jobs and spending time with their new child.

In many societies throughout the world, women serve as second-class citizens when it comes to education, financial independence and protection from abuse. According to the United Nations, more than 200,000 women have been raped in the Congo since 2006. This is morally unacceptable.
Alexi's Plan to Make it Right
Ensuring Pay Equality

* Alexi supports narrowing the pay disparity to benefit the record number of women in the workforce and improve the economic security of families.
* He supported passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which further protects women's rights to take action against unfair pay practices.
* He will also work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would empower women to negotiate for equal pay, create incentives for employers to follow the Equal Pay Act and protect workers from retaliation if they disclose or question their pay. The bill also allows women to receive the same remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subject to discrimination based on race and national origin.

Protecting a Woman's Right to Choose & Reducing Unwanted Pregnancies

* The decision to have an abortion is a deeply personal and difficult one. Alexi is committed to protecting a woman's right to choose under Roe v. Wade, and opposes any constitutional amendment that would override that right.
* Alexi supports more funding for preventive initiatives aimed at reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, including greater access to contraceptives that curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and comprehensive sex education programs that teach safe sex methods. Preventing unwanted pregnancies would reduce the number of abortions and result in fewer unwanted births and their long-term consequences.

Expanding Health Care

* Alexi supports congressional efforts to guarantee quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Read more about Alexi's position on health care here.
* He will also work to ensure preventive care and early detection programs, which include things like mammograms and pap smears, are easily accessible.

Balancing Work and Family

* Alexi strongly supports the Paid Parental Leave Act, which provides federally employed parents four weeks of paid leave to spend at home with a new child. This takes a first step toward universal paid leave so that working families no longer must choose between a child and a paycheck.

Preventing Violence Against Women at Home

* One in four American women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. For some, the abuse is a matter of life and death; however, in all cases it exacts staggering costs on our families, communities and society.
* Alexi supports efforts to raise awareness and fund programs so victims can get help early on, to train medical professionals in domestic violence services and response, to develop best practices to combat and prevent violent acts, and to demand tougher laws against those who commit violence.

Preventing Violence Against Women Abroad

* Internationally, the United States must apply pressure to prevent the systematic abuse and mistreatment of women in other countries where being born a female can serve as a death sentence. Alexi will push the U.S. government to work with the United Nations to provide protection, relief and education in these areas to ensure women have rights and reduce threats to their safety.

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