Women’s Issues in the Presidential Election

By Lia Ferrante
October 10, 2012

Women’s Issues are essential in the presidential election this year. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have substantial differences. Learning about each candidate’s positions will allow the American people to judge the candidates on this issue.

 

Barrack Obama’s take on the issues at hand

Wages

He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This law allows women a longer period of time in which to file a lawsuit if they feel they are being paid a lower wage for equal work.  This was the very first bill President Obama signed.

Health insurance

President Barack Obama is stopping health insurance companies from charging women more than men for the same coverage. Obamacare will cover mammograms, prenatal care, and certain cancer screenings with no co-pays. Insurance plans must cover birth control without co-pays or deductibles as part of women’s care, with some exemptions for religious institutions. Some opponents question if Obama is trying to promote sex to young women because now they will have easier access to birth control.

Abortion

Supports access to abortion for all women. In Obamacare, contraceptives will be free to all women in workplace health plans. Obama’s Affordable Care Act expands women to have copay-free preventive health care, in which includes contraceptives.

 

Mitt Romney’s take on the issues at hand

Wages

When given the opportunity to answer the dying question on his stance on the Lilly Ledbetter fair-pay U.S Supreme Court case, Romney had no response.

Health Insurance

Romney’s plan for insurance affects the Affordable Care Act, contraception and Planned Parenthood.

–       Repealing the Affordable Care Act will cut off millions of women and families’ access to affordable preventive care.

–       As he supports the Blunt amendment which restricts access to birth control. This bill also grants the right for the employer to deny the    health insurance if not morally correct.

–       Romney intends to end federal aid for Planned Parenthood.

Abortion

Even though Romney previously supported Pro-Choice, he opposes abortion rights now. In fact, he intends on planning a Supreme Court ruling that will reverse abortion rights in the Roe vs. Wade ruling.  Romney intends to end federal aid for Planned Parenthood.

 – Roe vs. Wade

States can only interfere with abortion if the surgery jeopardizes the health of the women and the prenatal life. The Supreme Court ruled an abortion cannot take place if the prenatal life can survive outside of the mother’s womb, can be as early as 24 weeks. Simplified, an abortion is approved be the state if it is health and safe.

 

 

Women’s Issues for Barack Obama

-Equal Pay for equal work

  -fight back against pay discrimination for women

-Ending Health Insurance discrimination

-ending to allow health insurance companies to charge women more than men for the same coverage.

-Women’s health and birth control

-Obama care allows women to save hundreds of dollars by fully covering birth control, mammograms and cancer screenings without co-pays or deductibles.

-Protecting Women’s rights

  -Giving women personal decisions without politicians being involved.

 

Potential Timeline of Women’s rights

-1848-First women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York.

-1893- Colorado is the first state to have an amendment granting women the right to vote.

-1916- Margaret Sanger opens first U.S. birth-control clinic in Brooklyn N.Y., denied, but in 1923 granted.

-1942-Margaret Sanger founds the American Birth Control League and becomes Planned Parenthood.

1978- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment against pregnant women. She can not be forced to take pregnancy leave if she is willing to work and cannot be fired or denied a job if she is pregnant.

-1994- The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence.

2009- President Obama signs the Lily Ledbetter Pay Restoration Act.

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Lia Ferrante

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