Message from National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
April 26, 2024
Greetings Feminists,
What will it take to guarantee gender equality in the United States? More than a century after Alice Paul, on the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, announced she would work for a new constitutional amendment establishing equal rights for men and women, the ERA still has not been adopted into law.
Although women make up over half of the U.S. population, they are far from equally represented at the top levels of society. Women make up less than 30 percent of the House of Representatives, the Senate, Fortune 500 CEOs, and governors nationwide.
The gender pay gap hasn’t budged over the past two decades—in 2022, U.S. women earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, about the same as the numbers for 2002.
Of course, it’s an embarrassment that the U.S. ranks so low for gender equality among the world’s developing nations—43rd out of 146 countries. But here at home, it’s more than shameful—it’s dangerous!
The U.S. is the only country apart from Papua New Guinea not to offer new mothers some form of paid maternity leave, part of a cycle of inequality that has a direct impact on the health of women and families.
President Biden’s budget for 2025 includes critical policies for women and families that advance gender equality and equity, including measures that lower child care costs, provide national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave, support the Pregnant
Workers Fairness Act, advance pay equity, maternal health and health equity, prevent and address gender-based violence, among other priorities.
We need policies like these and much more—but we also need to elect more lawmakers who understand their importance, and will fight alongside us to win the victories we so urgently need.
That’s why just about every conversation now comes back to the next election. NOW members have always been the first to answer the call to march, stand up and fight for women’s lives and gender equality.
Now, it’s up to us to vote for women’s lives in 2024—to make gender equality a reality by 2025!
In solidarity,
Christian
