Becoming a parent has huge personal, health, and economic impacts on women and families. Equality for women starts with access to universal, affordable health care for everyone from birth to death, including no-cost birth control, pregnancy services, maternity care, and abortion without interference, punishment, or stigma. Everyone should have the right to have children, not have children, parent their children and lead their families without interference or intimidation. Elected leaders must STAND WITH WOMEN by protecting health care and reproductive rights and passing policies that ensure meaningful access for all women and must reject policies that stigmatize, punish, or deny women the ability to control their own destinies.

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Women get lower pay for the same work and fewer promotions, whether in low-wage industries, “tipped” jobs, or higher-paying white-collar jobs. Women of color face the greatest pay gap and are most likely to be in low-wage jobs with no benefits. Women with families, whether its children or aging relatives, are forced to choose between work and family because of the lack of affordable child care, elder care, paid family medical leave, and earned sick time. It’s time to stop paying poverty wages and punishing women for pregnancy, parenting, and fulfilling family responsibilities. Elected leaders must STAND WITH WOMEN by insisting on fair wages, supporting unions, and passing equitable workplace policies that end gender discrimination, harassment, and penalties for having a family.

The environment we live in factors heavily into our health, economic security, and well-being. Man made natural disasters, abuse of the environment to drive profit and irresponsible use of natural resources harm everyone, especially low income people and people of color who bear the brunt of climate change. These are the same groups that most often face danger from over policing, mass incarceration and criminal justice policies that target and profile people of color. Elected leaders must STAND WITH WOMEN for equitable environmental justice and crimina

Black Women Rising leads multi-stakeholder letter to Congress outlining concerns with 340B Drug Discount Program. Learn more here.

Our taxpayer money should work for us, not further enrich millionaires and Wall Street corporations who already control too much wealth and exert too much influence over our democracy. Tax revenue should support programs and services that support an equitable economy, address disparities for women and and their families, and invest in public services that are accountable to people not corporations and their lobbyists. Elected leaders must STAND WITH WOMEN by passing tax and investment policies that prioritize equitable healthcare, childcare, education, job creation and retirement security policies over tax giveaways for the richest households and corporations.

Women are the backbone of the economy, yet some politicians consistently protect corporate profits at the expense of women and families. Denying women the right and resources to decide when and whether to have children and then rejecting policies to increase wages, gender discrimination on the job, and make child care affordable create an economy where women can’t succeed or take care of their families. Elected officials who protect corporate profits over increased wages and ending discrimination STAND IN THE WAY of women who make up half the workforce, half the electorate and a growing number of female-headed households.