Abstract
In the United States, the lives of women have been shaped by men with political power. Profoundly important issues that uniquely impact women have not received the attention deserved. These issues are pervasive. We live in a rape culture: one in three women will be a victim of physical violence by an intimate partner; one in six women are victims of attempted or completed rape; women aged sixteen to nineteen are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault, attempted rape, or completed rape. Less than 20% of employees have access to paid family leave. A gender wage gap persists and women are paid 82 cents on every dollar paid to a man. Reproduction may increase the wages of men (by 6%) while decreasing the wages of women (4%).4 It is legal for young girls to be married to substantially older men in the vast majority of states. Women are far more likely to live in poverty in the United States. A worrying number of people believe married women are irrevocably obligated to consent to sexual intercourse at any and all times, and around thirty states offer exemptions that may allow a husband to circumvent prosecution. Women have vastly different legislative priorities and their voice in government is essential, and yet, women comprise only 20% of the Senate, 27% of the House of Representatives, and 31% of state legislative seats.