In 1987, Congress designated March as Women’s History Month. This is an opportunity to reflect on the many, and often overlooked, contributions that women have made to every aspect of our society, the great strides that our country has made in protecting women and their rights, and to consider what more must be done.
One hundred years ago, women did not have the right to vote. Today, 101 of my colleagues in Congress are women, including Connecticut’s own Congresswomen Elizabeth Esty and Rosa DeLauro. This record-breaking number demonstrates our country’s progress in recognizing and treating women as equal citizens. However, women still do not enjoy parity in Congress or many other areas of opportunity and leadership.
As a father of two girls, there is nothing I want more than to create a better future for my daughters and the next generation of women. Last month, Congress passed an expanded reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. I supported this bill because it provides important legal protections for women of all different backgrounds who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence. I was proud to take one of my first votes as Congressman for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which also passed with an overwhelming majority in both the House and the Senate. At the start of the 113th Congress, I cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.377) which is currently pending. I am hopeful this legislation will pass and further support women in the workplace by finding more effective ways to fight wage discrimination.
Women still make only 77 cents to the dollar for performing the same job as a man. Although more women graduate from college than men, women still occupy only about one in six board seats at Fortune 500 companies. It is clear that there is still more work we need to do, and I am optimistic we can achieve our goal of achieving equal pay and equal respect for women in the workplace and beyond.