In a historic presidential election President Obama has now been passed the baton for leading our nation.
While Obama is ready to take on the task at hand, women, many of whom voted for him, should be assured that the Obama and Biden administration will be strong advocates for women.
Some of his campaign promises include:
- Ensuring that all Americans have health insurance by the end of his first term, including the over 19 million women who are currently uninsured.
- Tackling the issue of HIV/AIDS, and empowering women in the fight against the disease. In 2006, Latina women accounted for 21% of all women who died from AIDS in the United States.
- Supporting abortion for all women and oppose any amendments that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
- Increasing access to contraception and preventative services, as well as providing comprehensive sex education to adolescents and teens.
- Fighting for equity in pay. To date, women only make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Even worse, Latina women make 55 cents for every dollar a man makes.
- Working to fight against poverty, an issue affecting over 14 million women in the United States, and as of 2007 20% of Latinas.
- Raising the minimum wage to $9.50, directly benefiting 60% of the workforce receiving minimum wage that are woman.
For many Latinas in the United States, the election of President Obama is a signal of a new era that may provide hope to many. As put by our new president during his acceptance speech:
Hope and change have been the cause of my life. Hope and change have been the story of our country, and we’re here today to continue that story of hope and change… hope and change. We are not just here to win an election; we are here to transform our nation.
Contributed by Angela Donadic, Policy and Advocacy Fellow
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