Download streaming video of What's At Stake For Women in 2008 With Lisa Maatz, Public Policy Director for the American Association of University Women recorded on 11/10/2007 at North Country Community College Saranac Lake, New York for the District 7 Fall Conference of AAUW-NYS.
Updated: September 25, 2008
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Just a few of the sites that the Sunlight Foundation features - and in some cases, funds - include:
WASHINGTON - Today AAUW released its Congressional Voting Record for the 110th Congress, which gives the public critical information about how members of Congress voted on AAUW priority issues.
This Congress was noticeably more supportive of AAUW's position in the areas of education, economic security, and civil rights. More than half the representatives and senators supported AAUW's issues on at least 80 percent of the votes in this voting record, a tool to both educate voters and make legislators more conscious about issues important to women and families.
"AAUW has had some critical legislative victories this Congress, but we must also protect and enforce hard-won laws already on the books," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "With the November elections just around the corner, AAUW is urging voters to hold their elected officials accountable on the issues that matter most to women and their families."
To help the electorate make an informed decision, AAUW also released voter guides for the November elections-not just for the presidential race but also for some key Senate races. Additional voter guides will be added throughout the fall.
"We don't tell women how to vote," said Lisa M. Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "We encourage them to speak their minds and get involved in the political process, to ensure that the issues they most care about get the attention they deserve-and education and economic security are very much on the minds of women voters this year."
The AAUW Capitol Hill Lobby Corps, a group of AAUW members who lobby Congress each week it is in session, will make a special effort to thank members of Congress with a 100 percent voting record.
"After a five-year delay, the Higher Education Act was reauthorized, which takes steps to make college more affordable and creates the AAUW-inspired Patsy Mink Graduate Fellowships," said Maatz. "AAUW was also instrumental in the House passage of two equal pay bills: the Paycheck Fairness Act, which updates the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to provide better remedies for victims of pay discrimination, and the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would correct the Supreme Court's misstep in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co."
In addition to the nonpartisan voter guides and the Congressional Voting Record, AAUW's nationwide Voter Education Campaign features an online resource kit for field campaigns on issues such as affirmative action and measures requiring employers to provide a minimum number of paid sick days. The Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual is an in-depth guide for AAUW members and coalition partners who want to run campaigns in their communities that encourage women to turn out on Election Day. AAUW also awards public policy impact grants for projects designed to increase member advocacy on state- and federal-level issues. This year AAUW state affiliates in Alabama, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have received funding for projects ranging from student registration drives to candidate forums.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for September 15, 2008.
While Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign ended without a woman candidate for president, women are still running for high offices throughout the nation. According to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, 149 women are candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 8 women are candidates for Senate seats. Five states will also see women running for governor. For more information on women candidates and women voters this election cycle, including information on women in state legislatures, see the CAWP website
- from AAUW's Washington Update for August 15, 2008.
This week, Lifetime Networks announced the results of a national poll of likely women voters that sheds light on women’s impressions of Sens. McCain and Obama. The poll also indentifies economic worries as the dominant issue driving women to the polls, and indicates whom Sen. Hillary Clinton’s primary voters now support, as well as how they believe her candidacy will affect future presidential races. The poll was conducted by Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway of the polling company ™, inc./WomanTrend and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners.
Neither McCain nor Obama have secured a clear majority of women voters; McCain has 38 percent to Obama’s 49 percent, and six percent of these women said they were only leaning toward a candidate. Ten percent of the women polled remain firmly undecided, leaving the race for the women’s vote very tight. The majority of women polled say that putting a woman on the ticket would not sway their vote either way, and while 47 percent of Hillary Clinton’s primary voters said they’d be more likely to vote for Obama if he chose a woman running mate, 59 percent would be unmoved by a woman on McCain’s ticket. More women attribute Hillary’s loss not to sexism in the presidential campaign, but because of the way she ran her campaign (34% vs. 21%). Jobs and the economy remain the most important issue to women this election (41 percent), and when asked which issues women want to hear the candidates talk more about, those polled again chose jobs/the economy by 47 percent.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for August 8, 2008.
According to a poll done by Scientists and Engineers of America, voters are more likely to back candidates who support improvements in scientific research over other candidates. Overwhelming percentages of voters responded that they would be more likely support a candidate who is committed to using public investments in science and technology to reduce costs of quality healthcare, meet demands for energy and address global climate change, and support science education. Find out where your legislators stand on science, health, and related policy through the SEA SHARP network on their website.
AAUW research shows that women still lag far behind in the fields of math and science, both in education and in the workforce. AAUW supports promoting and strengthening STEM education, especially for girls and other underrepresented populations. For additional information, please read our position paper on STEM education.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for July 11, 2008.
On Tuesday, a meeting was conducted at Campus Progress to discuss the youth vote, which included both liberal and conservative individuals, according to Inside Higher Ed. The conference highlighted the progress that has taken place in getting people under 30 to vote. Members of the group noted that although the general trend within the cohort is to vote Democratic, this is not the case for everyone in the under 30 crowd, especially considering many have grown up in a conservative political and economic environment. Others offered constructive advice for the conference on trying to encourage and mobilize minorities, which includes getting them to focus on issues pertinent to their needs.
AAUW believes that voting is an essential part of civic engagement and applauds steps people take to make their voice heard.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for July 11, 2008.
AAUW and the League of Women Voters encourage AAUW branches and local Leagues to work together on voter outreach and education activities, as some localities have done in the past. By pooling resources, volunteers and expertise, we can extend our reach and build on our history of collaboration and partnership. Access the League's "one-stop-shop" for election related information. Start preparing now to ensure women's voices and issues are heard on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2008 with AAUW’s Voter Education Campaign.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for June 28, 2008.
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund have recently released a national survey in which the voting patterns of married and unmarried women are compared. The survey, administered on March 18-26, involved 1,007 adult women. The results prove how obsolete the term “women’s vote” is becoming. All women expressed concern about the economy and a desire for change, come November, but the results shed light on an inconsistency between the political and economic ideals of married women and that of unmarried women. While married women preferred a generic Democratic by a 53-38 percent margin, there was a 66-25 percent margin among unmarried women. Learn more about how these poll results might impact the upcoming election.
The results also show that there is a discrepancy between the issues women want to hear about–equal pay, child care, education, or the cost of living–and the issues candidates are talking about–the economy, the Iraq war, health care, and immigration. The study ultimately shows that as women’s financial circumstances and lifestyles become more diversified, so do their political beliefs. Read more about the survey here.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for April 18, 2008.
Rock the Vote, a non-profit, non-partisan organization working to engage and mobilize youth in the political process, released their latest poll of 18 to 29 year olds this week. According to the poll, young voters are energized and excited about this campaign. In fact, 75 percent of respondents believe they have the power to change the country and, when asked if young voters as a group had the ability to change the country, 88 percent of those surveyed agreed and 77 percent of women surveyed strongly agreed. These feelings of enthusiasm have already been reflected in the primaries and caucuses, with record numbers of youth—over 7 million young adults so far—coming out to vote, according to Lake Partners Research Group.
This trend should continue, with 82 percent of those surveyed stating that they are likely to vote in November and 62 percent saying they are excited to vote this fall. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said they are affiliated with the Democratic Party, compared with 28 percent affiliating with the Republican Party and with 16 percent identifying themselves as Independents. In addition, when asked which candidate they would send to the White House if the presidential election were held today, young voters favored Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) at 47 percent over Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) at 35 percent and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) at 57 percent over Sen. McCain at 27 percent. Among women surveyed, 59 percent said they would vote for either Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton instead of Sen. McCain. The top concerns of these young voters are jobs and the economy for 17 percent, the war in Iraq for 12 percent, health care for 11 percent, and college affordability for 10 percent.
A New Republic article suggests that Sen. Clinton may be struggling among young women voters in part because women’s increased success on college campuses may lead them to feel they don’t need to vote for a candidate based on gender. The article does, however, point to the AAUW Educational Foundation report, Behind the Pay Gap, and asks the question, “But would a woman who votes for Obama today rethink her choice after graduation, when she sees a man getting ahead in the workplace, or when she has to make a choice between a higher-level career and kids?”
- from AAUW's Washington Update for February 29, 2008.
The American Association of University Women today released its Congressional Voting Record for the 110th Congress, First Session, which provides AAUW members and the public with critical information about how their members of Congress voted on equity issues affecting women and girls in 2007.
"Voters deserve to know where their elected officials stand before they head to the polls in November," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "AAUW members across the country will use the voting record in their voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts this year, ensuring that people who care about women's equity know exactly how their members of Congress voted on key issues." Priority issues reflected in the voting record are education, economic security, and civil rights. This year, AAUW is pleased that more than half the representatives and senators supported AAUW's position on at least 80 percent of the votes that were scored.
The Congressional Voting Record scores the votes on several pieces of legislation that became law, including bills that provided for an increase in the minimum wage; the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. bill; and investment in science, technology, engineering, and math education. In addition, the publication scores legislation that reflects other AAUW priorities such as improving pay discrimination law, expanding hate crimes prevention, and protecting access to reproductive health care.
"Women have already been a critical factor in the presidential primaries, and they will continue to play a pivotal role in the upcoming elections," Maatz said. "The Congressional Voting Record is a great resource for them to use to make informed choices before casting a ballot."
Legislation was selected on the basis of the AAUW Public Policy Program adopted by AAUW convention delegates in July 2007. The voting record lists only roll-call votes officially recorded on the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives. The voting record is neither an endorsement nor a condemnation of any member of Congress.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for February 11, 2008.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science announced this week that it was joining the efforts of the ScienceDebate2008.com initiative in pushing for a presidential debate on science, technology, and the economy. The effort is being co-chaired by Reps. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) and is also supported by House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). Other supporters of the initiative, who are planning for an April debate, include leading scientists and engineers, executives from major science and technology corporations, and presidents of major American colleges and research universities.
ACTION: AAUW remains committed to strong academic principles that will adequately prepare all students for success. In addition, AAUW strongly supports promoting and strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, especially for girls and other underrepresented populations. Teaching children about science during their early years is critical to not only improving subject matter competency but also sparking and maintaining students' interest in these fields. This is especially valuable for young girls, who have been shown to lose interest in STEM subjects by junior high school. If you haven’t yet done so, please use AAUW’s Two-Minute Activist online to urge your representative to support the inclusion of science as a required area of assessment under the No Child Left Behind Act's measurement of adequate yearly progress (AYP). Visit the AAUW website to learn more about AAUW’s position on No Child Left Behind, which governs elementary and secondary education.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for January 25, 2008.
Lifetime Networks’ Every Woman Counts campaign launched their new website this week and announced a host of new celebrity partnerships. The public service campaign, now in its fifth presidential cycle, is dedicated to encouraging women to speak out on the issues they care about most, vote, and run for office. Formed by Lifetime Networks in partnership with Hearst Magazines REDBOOK, CosmoGIRL!, and Marie Claire, the Every Woman Counts coalition comprises leading national nonprofit organizations such as AAUW.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for January 18, 2008.
- from AAUW's Action Alert, Sept. 2004.