Issue Position: Women's Rights

Issue Position

Standing on the shoulders of many strong women before her, Faith is a champion for equal rights for women.

Equal Pay. On average, women earn just 80 cents for every man's dollar in the U.S. -- and the discrepancy is even worse for women of color. Even controlling for education, experience, industry, occupation, role and hours worked, the pay gap still exists. As a working mom, Faith knows that women's paychecks keep families afloat. She has been a proud sponsor of the Equal Pay Act every year she has served in the legislature -- and she'll continue to do so until women finally earn equal pay for equal work.

Harassment-Free Workplaces. In SD 24, six out of 10 women work outside the home -- they never should have to tolerate sexual harassment in verbal, emotional, or physical form, and should expect respectful workplaces. After experiencing sexual harassment at the Capitol, Faith was brave and stood up to a fellow Representative to stop the abuse for not just herself, but also legislative aides and lobbyists who had also been victims. She will continue to work to ensure that every worker is safe in the workplace, from hotel maids to elected officials.

Reproductive Healthcare. Every woman should have access to quality healthcare -- including regular check-ups and cancer screenings -- at every stage of life. Because planning the size and spacing of children is important for family and economic reasons, women need a full range of reproductive health care, including affordable contraceptives, access to abortion, and prenatal, labor/delivery and postnatal care. After her own two challenging pregnancies, Faith passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to protect women employees from being discriminated or retaliated against because of pregnancy; women workers now have the peace of mind that they may request a chair to sit in while on duty or time off for prenatal appointments, without fear of being harassed or fired.

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