Today is Women’s Equality Day. On Aug. 26, 1920, the amendment guaranteeing the right to vote for women became part of the U.S. Constitution. The anniversary of this historic achievement demands recognition and celebration, but also requires us to ask whether, 95 years later, women are truly equal in America.

As a legislator, I hear from women in my district all the time, and the stories they share about their lives tell me that we still have a long way to go.

We haven’t reached full equality when, here in Maine, the average median income for women is just 84 percent of what their male counterparts earn.

We haven’t reached full equality when people continue to challenge a woman’s right to right to decide when, how and whether to have children. We haven’t reached full equality when only some women have access to the health care they need to control the size of their family.

Equality feels out of reach when women are the most negatively affected by economic policies that keep wages low, deny paid family leave, put child care out of reach and restrict access to critical reproductive health care.

The good news? There are solutions. And some of them are already underway here in Maine.

Advertisement

A bill I sponsored this session, An Act To Strengthen the Economic Stability of Qualified Maine Citizens by Expanding Coverage of Reproductive Health Care and Family Services, is now law. It will make a huge difference for about 13,000 Maine women and their families.

It expands eligibility for reproductive health care and birth control through MaineCare and leverages a 9-1 match of federal dollars to pay for it. Low-income women will be able to access health care coverage specifically for these critical services from any qualified health care provider.

Access to contraception is especially important, as it allows women to choose to space children, taking into account health, educational and economic factors. This increases their chances of achieving their educational goals and their ability to make thoughtful decisions about work and career; both of which translate to greater economic stability and self-sufficiency.

That’s good for everybody — good for women, good for children who are less likely to grow up in poverty and good for the future of Maine’s economy, which depends on a robust female workforce.

There is also a movement in Maine to increase the minimum wage, which would make a significant difference in the gender wage gap. We know that women make up half of the workforce and often are the sole supporters of their families, yet they are more likely to work in jobs that pay the minimum wage. A full-time minimum-wage job yields $15,600 a year — less than the poverty level for a single mother with one child.

We need to go further. Maine should join other states in accepting federal funds to expand health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Advertisement

We must invest more money into our elder care system and pass policies that help homecare workers (again, overwhelmingly women) earn a living wage and help Maine seniors age at home with dignity.

We need to invest resources and reduce the cost of quality child care for working families; child care has become so expensive that many low-income women who would like to work are denied the opportunity to enter the workforce because they can’t afford it.

The list of necessary policy changes is long. To advance women’s equality, we must continue to stand up against attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights.

That, however, is not enough. We must fight inertia and push forward for fair wages and other policies that affect the economic security of women — policies that affect their ability to pursue career opportunities, the health and well-being of their families, the chances of their children’s success.

Elected leaders must stand up for policies that ensure greater opportunity for all women. I am proud to be one of them.

Rep. Joyce “Jay” McCreight, D-Harpswell, is serving his first term in Maine’s House of Representatives. She serves on the Judiciary and Marine Resources committees.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: