A while back, I sent a letter to the White House regarding
women’s rights. I mentioned that I was the spokeswoman for Rock The Slut Vote
and described our mission. I forgot I even did this until today.
I know that it’s probably a form letter and Obama probably didn’t write it himself but I was happy to read that he has received other letters from people about women’s rights and I think it’s cool to know someone actually read it and took the time to reply. Below is the message:
October 22,
2012
Dear Kimberley:
Thank you for writing. I have heard
from many Americans about issues affecting women, and I appreciate hearing from
you.
My Administration is working hard
every day to promote equality, enhance women’s health and economic security,
and ensure women have the opportunities they need and deserve at every stage of
their lives. From my perspective, these are not just “women’s issues.” When
women earn just 77 cents for every dollar men earn, this not only harms women,
but families have to get by with less and businesses have fewer customers with
less to spend. When a job does not offer family leave to care for a new baby or
an ailing parent, this burdens both women and men. When insurance plans deny
women coverage because of pre-existing conditions, it strains emergency rooms
and drives up the cost of care for everyone. And when any American cannot
fulfill his or her potential because of factors that have nothing to do with
talent, character, or work ethic, we are all impacted.
The success of American women is
critical for the success of American families and our economy. That is why I
created the White House Council on Women and Girls during my first year in
office and directed them to ensure every agency, department, and office in our
Federal Government—with the policies they draft, the programs they create, and
the legislation they support—takes into account the needs and aspirations of
American women and girls. That work started with the very first bill I signed
as President, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic
protections against pay discrimination for women. In 2010, I created the
National Equal Pay Task Force to facilitate inter-agency coordination in
identifying and combatting equal pay violations. As a result of these efforts,
for example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has obtained more than
$62 million in monetary relief since January 2010.
We are also working to equip
women with the education and training they need to compete in today’s economy.
Because women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs earn an
average of 30 percent more than women in other fields, we are working to
promote women and girls in STEM degrees and careers. In addition to passing the
American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is helping over 9 million students
attend college, we also increased the number of students receiving Pell Grants
by 50 percent. As a result of these increases, we are helping millions of
students—including 2.3 million women—afford their tuition and reach for their
dreams.
Additionally, we are working to
expand opportunities for women by creating new jobs, supporting women small
business owners and entrepreneurs, and promoting efforts to help women and men
balance the needs of their families with the demands of their careers. Over the
past three years, we repeatedly cut taxes for small businesses and provided
over 16,000 loans worth more than $4.5 billion to female entrepreneurs. To
promote workplace flexibility, we are working to make the Federal Government a
model employer by adopting new policies on practices such as teleworking.
Finally, we are making
significant strides in expanding access to, and improving the quality of,
health care for women. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies
are now required to cover preventive care without cost-sharing, and in 2011,
more than 20 million American women were eligible to receive services such as
mammograms, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and prenatal care without
co-pays or deductibles. As of August 2012, the covered services also include
contraception and domestic violence screenings. By 2014, it will finally be
illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to women because they have a
pre-existing condition such as breast cancer or pregnancy, and insurance
companies will be prohibited from charging women higher premiums than men for
the same coverage. For more information on health care reform, please visit www.HealthCare.gov
or www.WhiteHouse.gov/HealthReform.
I am also committed to protecting
a woman’s right to choose while supporting policies and programs that help
prevent unintended pregnancies, assist pregnant women and mothers, encourage
healthy relationships, and promote adoption.
To learn more about how my
Administration is working to support women at all stages of their lives and
careers, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/Women.
Thank you, again, for writing.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
