A living wage would increase the income of low wage earners so that they may be able to support their family without additional government assistance because the current federal minimum wage is not adequate for a full time worker with a family. Living wages are generally determined as the hourly wage necessary for a full time worker to support a family of four at the poverty level. The specific wage varies from state to state because of the differences in costs of living. Ordinances have been passed requiring that government workers and workers of government contractors be given adequate living wages so that they will not require other government assistance. Living wage ordinances are important to ensuring that the government is not contributing and encouraging the creation of low-wage jobs that place workers under the poverty line. Currently, there are no federal laws about a living wage and the federal minimum wage remains at $5.15 per hour.

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The total cost of the presidential and congressional campaigns in 2004 was just under $4 billion dollars, up almost $1 billion from 2000. In order to run a successful campaign today, it requires money for expensive television advertisements, political consultants, mass mailings and campaign rallies. Critics of the current campaign finance system say that the more money needed to run for office increases a candidate's reliance of donors. Relying on donors, whether individuals, businesses, political action groups or unions, can influence decision makers and lead to corrupt politics. It limits potential candidates, including many women, who do not have access to the amount of money necessary in order to run for office. Campaign finance reform, such as the McCain-Feingold bill, helps to level out the playing field, banning soft money in a campaign to help minimize the importance of money in political campaigns.

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The Equal Pay Act of 1963 worked to end the pay differential that exists between men and women. The act made it illegal for employers to pay unequally for equal work. Women and men in similar jobs with similar backgrounds were, and still are, being paid unequally. While the act has gone a long way to even out the pay differences, men earn more than their female counterparts. In 2002 women made only 76% of men’s wages. Minority women have a much wider pay differential: African- American women make 65 cents for every dollar a white male makes and Hispanic women make only 54 cents.

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The ERA was written in 1923 by Alice Paul, suffragist leader and founder of the National Woman's Party. She and the NWP considered the ERA to be the next necessary step after the 19th Amendment (Woman Suffrage) in guaranteeing "equal justice under law" to all citizens.

The ERA was introduced into every session of Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification. The seven-year time limit in the ERA's proposing clause was extended by Congress to June 30, 1982, but at the deadline, the ERA had been ratified by 35 states, leaving it three states short of the 38 required for ratification. It has been reintroduced into every Congress since that time.

The 15 states that have not ratified the ERA are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.

The following sections comprise the entire text of The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), affirming the equal application of the U.S. Constitution to both females and males:

• Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. bullet
• Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
• Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

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A majority of insurance companies do not provide coverage for essential services, such as contraceptive drugs and devices. Contraceptives are a key factor in reducing unwanted pregnancies and should be considered as any other type of outpatient medical service. By providing coverage for contraceptives, insurance companies can spare themselves the potential costs of abortions or maternity care. The Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act that was introduced in both the House and the Senate sought to make coverage equal for both services. Any insurance plan providing outpatient coverage would be required to cover contraceptive services and any plan providing prescription drugs would be required to cover contraceptive drugs. Many states have passed similar bills ensuring that women are not discriminated against by their health insurance providers.

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The Family Leave Act mandated that an employer must allow an employee to take off up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a year in order to care for a newborn child, care for a newly adopted child, care for an immediate family member or to recuperate from a serious medical condition.

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Women are often the target of human rights violations specifically because they are women. Violence and sexual abuse in the home is still practiced in many countries with little regulation. Women are discriminated against for jobs and higher education. In many countries, women have little or no control over their reproductive rights and often have no access to reproductive health care. In some societies, there are cultural and religious practices violating women's human rights that are not regulated by governments, leaving women without any protection under the law. Human rights for women must include equal protection under the law, protections against domestic abuse, freedom to make their own reproductive choices as well as the ability to receive education and work without discrimination. It also includes the ability to choose when and whom they marry, the ability to end a marriage and the ability to hold political office. Human rights for women mean that they are equal to men and deserve the same opportunities that men do.

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Long-term care is required for many Americans with permanent disabilities and illnesses. Assisted living, whether at home or in a nursing home, is very expensive and long-term care insurance helps to cover the insured's medical and non-medical costs. While most people in need of long-term care are elderly, long-term care may be necessary at any age. Insurance helps to protect everyone from the financial difficulties that an unexpected need of long-term care might create.

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Mandatory waiting periods require women seeking abortions to wait for a period of time before the procedure may be performed. Generally, a woman must come to the abortion clinic for an initial consultation and is then must wait 24 hours later to receive the procedure, rather than have it done right away. Several states have enacted laws requiring a 24 or 48- hour waiting period. The result of mandatory waiting periods is that women incur more expenses, particularly when they are forced to travel long distances to reach a clinic. They not only have to pay the expenses of costly long-distance trips but also hotel stays and food bills. Women are endangered by the mandatory wait because they have increased exposure to anti-abortion protestors who harass women going in for procedures. Additionally, the potential risk for complications increases because often women have to wait longer than 24 hours until they can receive the procedure. As the gestational age of the fetus increases, so do the health risks for women.

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In December of 2003 Congress passed a law creating a Medicare prescription drug discount card, allowing those eligible for Medicare to receive discounted prescription drugs. The cards provide a 10-15% discount on prescriptions in order to help reduce the costs of prescription medication. Low income individuals may qualify for an additional rebate on their prescriptions.

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In January of 1973 the Supreme Court legalized abortion, giving women the right to choose. The right to choose has been attacked recently, particularly with the passage of the Partial Birth Abortion ban last year. The Partial Birth ban made it illegal for doctors to perform abortions after the first trimester, compromising both women's health and right to choose.

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In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved RU486, more commonly known as the abortion pill. RU486 is a non-surgical pill that enables early termination within the first seven weeks of the pregnancy. The abortion pill is a less invasive and provides women with another option for termination. The pill is available by prescription.

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As more parents enter the workforce, they are often left with few good options for childcare before and after school as well as during summer vacation. Without proper supervision and care, children are more likely to get into trouble after school, but those enrolled in after school programs are less likely to engage in risky behavior while their parents are at work. Good after school programs provide working parents the ability to work outside of the home without distraction and worry.

Preschool programs help prepare children for school as well as provide childcare for working families. Only 4 out of 5 states offer any kind of preschool programs and most are inadequately funded and limited to certain age groups and income levels.

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Sex education provides accurate information on healthy relationships, peer pressure, contraception and abstinence in order for youth to use their own values to make healthy decisions. Comprehensive sex education teaches that abstinence is the best method of protection against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases but it also teaches age-appropriate medical information about contraceptives. It provides information about sexual orientation, sexual expression and sexual health as well as the specifics of how to use a condom and what options a woman with an unintended pregnancy has. Comprehensive sex education combines practical, medical and moral information to best prepare youth to make informed decisions.

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Privatization of Social Security is one of the proposed plans to make Social Security solvent. Private accounts would divert a percentage of a worker¡¯s payroll tax into a private account that will be invested and used as retirement income once the worker is eligible to do so. Traditional Social Security benefits will be reduced as a result of the private accounts.

Proponents of private accounts state that it will give workers ownership over their payroll taxes and allow them to make their own investment decisions. Private accounts can give workers higher rates of return on investments than the current system could. Many women¡¯s organizations, including the National Council of Women¡¯s Organizations, do not support private accounts because they will be harmful for women. Women live longer and have few sources of retirement income outside of Social Security benefits. The current proposed plan for private accounts will reduce benefits, increasing the number of older women living under the poverty line.

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The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2000 expires in 2005 and the remarkable gains we've made in ending domestic and sexual violence could come to a halt if Congress does not act quickly. During the past decade, VAWA of 1994 and 2000 have provided tremendous resources and protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA programs have provided increased training for police, prosecutors, and court officials, and greatly improved the response of the criminal justice system to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. These programs have also been successful at providing victims with emergency shelter, hotlines, and supportive services. Due to VAWA's remarkable accomplishments, many more victims are now referred for services and demand has steadily risen for the services provided by VAWA programs. As we look forward to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, Congress has a unique opportunity not only to continue successful and crucial existing programs, but also to expand on ten years of progress to further the safety and stability of the lives of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

• A broad group of law enforcement, victim service providers, community leaders, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, have evaluated VAWA and recommended the changes necessary for a VAWA '04 that would effectively and thoroughly respond to the epidemic of violence against women in our nation.
• VAWA '04 must enhance core programs and policies in the criminal justice and legal systems and reaffirm the commitment to reform systems that affect adult and minor victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• VAWA '04 must also make bold new strides in ending domestic violence and sexual assault by addressing currently unmet needs.
• This bill should provide practical solutions to improving the response of the criminal justice and legal systems by expanding funding for local groups working with underserved communities, strengthening the criminal justice response to sexual assault, developing standards for protecting the confidentiality of victims served by VAWA programs, enhancing collaboration between victim service organizations and civil legal assistance providers, and enhancing provisions to fully enforce protective orders across state lines.
• VAWA '04 needs to include the reauthorization of critical programs and development of new services that respond to evolving community needs. Solution-based remedies should address the concerns of women generally as well as the unique needs of disabled, elderly, Native, legal immigrant, and ethnic minority women and women living in rural communities.
• Domestic violence is one of the primary causes of homelessness. Survivors and advocates consistently rate housing as a top priority, and 92% of homeless women have been physically or sexually assaulted. In order to address the housing problem, VAWA '04 should provide a comprehensive yet pragmatic approach that includes expanding transitional housing options, protecting the safety and confidentiality of homeless victims receiving services, ensuring that victims can come forward without jeopardizing their current or future housing, and creating permanent housing solutions that help develop communities and build collaborations between service providers, government agencies and housing developers.
• While it is imperative to continue VAWA's focus on responding to the violence, reauthorization should also address prevention. By intervening early with children who have witnessed domestic violence and changing social norms through targeted interventions with boys and teens, we can take the next step toward ending the violence.
• Domestic violence and sexual assault adversely affect our nation's youth and perpetuate a society of violence. VAWA '04 should provide a comprehensive approach for assisting children, teens and young adults who have violence in their lives. VAWA '04 needs to include initiatives such as assisting schools with creating policies and programs, providing teens and young adults with appropriate services, ensuring access to court systems, and preventing abuse during child visitation.
• VAWA should dramatically improve the response to violence against Native women at all levels, including the criminal justice response, direct services, and support for the sovereignty of Native people.
• Domestic violence and sexual assault are health care problems of epidemic proportions. In addition to the immediate trauma caused by abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault contribute to other chronic health problems. A critical gap remains in the delivery of health care to battered women and sexual assault survivors. In order to improve the health care system's response to violence against women and thus ensure proper treatment and help, VAWA '04 should provide for the training and education of health care providers and fund federal health programs to improve their services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
• Survivors identify economic independence as one of the most important factors in allowing them to escape violent relationships. Provisions in VAWA '04 should provide a range of options to allow victims to keep jobs by making the workplace safer and more responsive.

  Domestic violence and sexual assault are pervasive crimes directly affecting one in four women and touching the lives of everyone in the community. We can make a difference by reauthorizing the VAWA. We urge members of Congress to pledge their support for a strong and enhanced Violence Against Women Act in 2005.

  For more information, please contact Jill Morris, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, at 202745-1211, jmorris@ncadv.org or Allison Randall, National Network to End Domestic Violence, at 202.543.5566, arandall@nnedv.org.

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