CPA News Releases, Advisories, and Editorials

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pushing the Boundaries: State Action Improves Women’s Economic Standing — a report released today by Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) finds that over the last 5 years a strong network of progressive legislators and advocates are creating effective state-based policies that fuel American women’s economic progress.

In preparation for Beijing +5, a U.N. Special Session to assess the progress of governments around the world to improve the lives of women and girls, CPA produced the legislative report to look at how the 50 states have taken action since 1995 in four key areas central to women’s economic lives: equal pay, paid family leave, microenterprise opportunities through individual development accounts, and ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

This report, together with State of the States: Facts on Women and the Economy, a statistical overview of U.S. women’s economic progress over the last five years that CPA released in May, give an unprecedented focus on the landscape of women’s economic progress at the state level.

Linda Tarr-Whelan, President of CPA and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, affirms, “At first glance, statistics show that U.S. women have a ways to go in reaching their full economic potential. But a closer look, shows an exciting phenomenon occurring-a vibrant state-led network with the potential to make a dramatic difference in women’s lives. A women-led economic agenda is alive and well at the state level.”

This report builds upon CPA’s long-standing work with leaders at the local, state, and federal level to advance a women-led economic agenda with action on Economic Self-Sufficiency, Entrepreneurship; Health and Security, and Family and Work. The blueprint was developed from CPA’s groundbreaking research, Women’s Voices, a comprehensive effort to listen to and gauge women’s attitudes, values, and priorities. It has been refined and moved forward through a series of high-level conferences including the four-day Women’s Economic Leadership Summit in 1997, cosponsored by The White House, and the Summit on Women in the New Economy at 11 Downing Street, cosponsored by Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the UK Women’s Unit.

The dialogue to asses women’s economic status will continue today at the Beijing+5 Economic Empowerment Forum, sponsored by CPA and the AFL-CIO Working Women’s Department, featuring The Honorable Lawrence H. Summers, Secretary of the Treasury; Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO; and Linda Tarr-Whelan, who in her role as Ambassador also serves as Deputy Chair of the U.S. Delegation of Beijing+5, as plenary speakers.

Highlights of Pushing the Boundaries include:

• Over 1/3 of all states are attempting to expand family leave and enable more workers to take time off without loosing wages.
• More than 2/3 of states have introduced some form of equal pay legislation.
• Prompted by the 1996 overhaul of the nation’s welfare laws, a new trend is emerging among states to provide opportunities to low-income women to start their own businesses. States are using traditional economic tools such as, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), that enable low-income individuals to save towards long term goals, including starting their own businesses.
• Of the 27 states that have passed legislation to establish IDAs, ten have passed legislation in the last three years (1998-2000). Fourteen states included IDAs as a part of their state welfare reform plan.

Finally, CPA finds that over the past five years, many states, realizing the potential of CEDAW, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, to impact the legal rights of women in this country, are using their power to prod the U.S. Congress to swiftly ratify the treaty.

• State legislators in 23 states have introduced bills or resolutions pushing for U.S. ratification of CEDAW.

“All of these trends show us that states are where the action is to increase women’s economic security. Yet, no state is currently taking a comprehensive approach to deal with the real economic issues women face. This information helps us recognize the states that approach family economic issues in a proactive way, and also compels those states who are behind the times to act. Almost all states have budget surpluses. If support services to increase family economic security aren’t in place, it’s not because they don’t have the money, it’s because they don’t have the will,” states Tarr-Whelan.

Interview Opportunities:

Media interested in interviewing Linda Tarr-Whelan can make arrangements by calling Kristina Wilfore at 202/387-6030, ext. 141. For information about the press briefing on this report and the Economic Forum with Linda Tarr-Whelan and Linda Chavez, contact Kristina Wilfore at (202) 387-6030 or by mobile phone at (202) 329-7003. The Center for Policy Alternatives is a progressive, nonpartisan public policy and leadership development center working across the 50 states to realize solutions for American’s future.

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