Women’s Political Power in 2012
In a myriad of ways, the outcome of the 2012 elections hinged on women. With the largest gender gap for a presidential election in Gallup poll history, President Barack Obama won the female vote by 56 percent to 44 percent, and the vote of single women by 36 percentage points.
The 113th Congress will include 20 female senators, and more women will be serving in the U.S. House of Representatives than ever before, with 78 congresswomen elected to serve. Women now make up nearly 51 percent of the U.S. population. For the first time in U.S. history, women make up half of all workers on U.S. payrolls, and nearly two-thirds of mothers are either their family’s primary breadwinner or share that responsibility with a partner.
What should women do with their new power? How will the voices of women be reflected in policy agendas and legislative priorities? Join the Center for American Progress as we explore the issues around women’s economic strength, health, safety, rights, and their ability to manage work and family responsibilities that helped shape the course of the presidential election, and discuss what a new policy agenda should include.
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