Dear Friends,

Greetings! Yesterday was an historic day for the country as President Biden signed the bipartisan $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The law is projected to add more than two million jobs over the coming decade and devote billions to repairing our nation’s highways, bridges, and ports. The bill will also invest in public transportation, new clean water programs, and expanded broadband access for rural communities, all programs that positively impact some of our nation’s most vulnerable communities.

But the infrastructure bill is only one piece to the post-pandemic puzzle. Now we need Congress to pass the Build Back Better bill, which offers a down payment on a fairer, more equitable economic future as our nation emerges from the pandemic.

From child care to paid leave, the Build Back Better bill stands to benefit millions of women and their families and give them an added boost as they re-enter the workforce.

And as always, IWPR has the research to back this up:

Our May 2021 survey showed that close to two-thirds of women with children report being very or somewhat worried about balancing work responsibilities with their own family needs. The Build Back Better bill will help address these concerns by providing the much-needed assistance securing the child care services women need to pursue their careers and provide for their families.
Another 2021 IWPR survey showed that women working in the construction trade who had to take time off due to COVID had to do so without pay. Benefits like paid leave will facilitate the return of these women to the workforce, helping speed our pandemic recovery.

Affordable child care and paid leave programs are a fundamental need for women in today’s workforce. They open doors for women to pursue careers and help to strengthen families and improve their financial security, boosting the economy in the process. But they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits for women and families in the Build Back Better bill. Historic investments in children’s education, care for our aging population, Medicaid for low-income Americans, and housing and nutrition programs all promise to have a tremendous impact on women’s lives.

November’s jobs report reiterated how women continue to struggle post-pandemic compared to men. The report showed an increase in the rate of unemployment for adult women from 4.2 to 4.4 percent, while men’s unemployment fell from 4.7 to 4.3 percent. Women have made great strides as we emerge from the pandemic, but we still have far to go.

It was wonderful to see bipartisan movement on our nation’s priorities with the signing of yesterday’s infrastructure bill. Now we encourage Congress to do the same for America’s social safety net by passing the Build Back Better bill. The bill will improve the financial security of millions of Americans families and help women return to the workforce post-pandemic, boosting the economy in the process. America’s working women need the Build Back Better bill and so does our country.

Thank you for your support and for your ongoing trust in IWPR.



In Solidarity,

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Institute for Women's Policy Research

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Institute for Women's Policy Research
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301
Washington, DC 20036
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