WASHINGTON – Today, AAUW released "President Barack Obama's First 100 Days: A Progress Report on AAUW Priority Issues," an assessment of the Obama administration's actions with respect to advancing equity for women and girls. The AAUW report, which delves into critical issues including pay equity, job security, reproductive rights, education, and work-life balance, offers a close look at the administration's progress and identifies areas where more work can be done.
To see the document, visit
http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/upload/obamaFirst100.pdf
AAUW believes that the Obama administration had some important achievements during its first 100 days, from the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls. The administration has taken a number of AAUW-supported steps toward improving gender equity that will strengthen women’s economic security and expand educational opportunities for women and girls. The signing of the Ledbetter bill in particular — an important step forward in the fight for pay equity and the first bill President Obama signed into law — was a notable achievement.
"The president’s early and strong support for equal pay was a critical moment for AAUW and our allies, but the Ledbetter bill was just a first step," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "The Senate must join the House and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act — and the president must sign the bill — to put the next critical component in place to make real progress on pay equity."
The Obama administration has made progress in other areas as well. The economic recovery package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, makes significant investments in higher education, extends tax credits for working families, and offers additional financial assistance to those currently out of work. The administration also took a number of actions that will make college more affordable and further protect women’s reproductive rights.
"AAUW believes that these early successes have laid the groundwork for future progress," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "No administration can accomplish all of its goals or meet all expectations in this short time frame, but we are largely pleased at the direction in which the Obama administration has gone so far, and we will continue to make our case to the administration, Congress, and the American people."
AAUW looks forward to working with the administration on additional priority issues. As one important example, AAUW will continue to press the administration for a commitment to protect and strengthen Title IX, the landmark education law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. AAUW will also be looking to the administration to live up to its campaign promises to not support school vouchers as part of its overall education reform plan — including those in Washington, D.C.
"Our goal with this assessment is to educate the public about the issues critical to women and girls and motivate action," Hallman said. "We are absolutely nonpartisan, but we are unapologetically political about the issues that matter most to our mission. We are committed to breaking through barriers so that all women have a fair chance."
