Dear Future President,

As of today, the United States has come a long way in furthering women’s rights. However, women still face discrimination every day in social, political, and economic aspects. Women in the United States are victims of gender discrimination in the workplace and in the home through domestic violence, and I believe that as president, you can help us.

Women in the US are at an advantage compared to other women around the world in that they are part of the workplace rather than being forced to stay in the domestic sphere. But, there are still flaws in this system, as women are typically paid twenty percent less than men with the same occupations. Even women at the top of the ladder are paid less than their male counterparts. Although most female discrimination in the workplace affects women’s wallets, the more women rise in their companies, the harsher they are inspected. Women feel they are automatically at a disadvantage out of college and must compete even harder than men in order to get ahead in their occupation. I believe if women would receive equal pay, they would feel less discriminated in the workplace. I think the way you could change this would be to create a program that teaches women how to be more assertive about how much their professional skills are worth. Often times when women are assertive it backfires and they are seen as being disrespectful because the women stereotype suggests women are passive. Since the federal government still has yet to ensure equal pay for women, some states have moved forward with laws to ensure equal pay, yet these laws aren’t being enforced. I believe the federal government could do a better job implementing their own plan for this issue, but also can enforce the state laws more harshly in order to make sure women are getting the pay they deserve.

After facing such discrimination at work, women unfortunately are not safe from discrimination at home. At least one in every three women has experienced beatings, abuse, or coercion into sex, and most often they know their attacker. According to research, domestic violence is the leading cause of women’s injuries and it is more than automobile crashes, rapes, and assaults combined. Many women are not even respected by their husbands at home, and an example of this disrespect include beatings of women because they are weak and don’t contribute to the family’s finances as much as their husbands. I believe you could help this issue by creating a plan to end violence against women by establishing a law that requires women to learn self-defense or a program that provides more convenient opportunities in order for women to learn how to defend themselves from attackers.

Sincerely,

Lauren