Women
Since being elected to Congress, Rep. Eshoo has championed the interests of women throughout the country and around the world on the most significant social, economic, and health issues across the public policy spectrum. Rep. Eshoo has fought to open the doors of opportunity for women and girls in school and work, and advocated for equitable pay, tougher child support enforcement, and family-friendly workplaces. Rep. Eshoo is especially proud of her work to promote women’s health initiatives and protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Rep. Eshoo is a member of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues to improve the lives of women and families.
Access to Family Planning Services
Widespread use of birth control continues to be a critical component of basic preventive health care for women and has been the driving force in reducing national rates of unintended pregnancies, STD infections, and abortions. Womens...
Equal Rights Amendment
Since our nation's founding, the absence of a statement of equality for women under the Constitution has been an issue of significant debate. During the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John, "In...
Family Medical Leave Act
As a working mother, Rep. Eshoo knows the struggle many Americans endure when balancing work with the needs of their families. That balance can be difficult and even impossible to maintain when one's own health or that of a family member is compromised....
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women. According to the U.S....
Paycheck Fairness
Many of today's working women are the primary or sole breadwinners for their families. Alarmingly, statistics continue to indicate that women in the workplace only earn approximately 75 percent of what men earn. This gender discrimination affects women...
Protecting a Woman's Right to Reproductive Choice
Until the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, abortions were illegal, but obtainable at high financial and personal costs, and often at great risk to a woman's health. If a woman could afford an illegal abortion, it was generally unsafe and many...
Sexual Health Education
The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world: 34 percent of America's young women become pregnant at least once before the age of 20; eight of ten teenage pregnancies are unintended. Although birth rates...
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Passed in 1994 and then reauthorized in 2000, 2005, and 2013, VAWA is landmark legislation that has improved criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States. VAWA programs...
Women and Healthcare Reform
In today’s health system, women are discriminated against in many ways. They often face higher health costs than men, as well as multiple barriers to health insurance. Fewer women are eligible for employer-based coverage and comprehensive coverage, a...