What Public Policy Is (and means to AAUW Members)

Every two years, members of AAUW California have the opportunity to review the current Public Policy Action Priorities, suggest changes, and then vote on the revised platform. It is now that time. Please read through the 2015-2017 Priorities below and send any comments or suggestions to Suellen.aauw@gmail.com or nlmahr@verizon.net as soon as possible

To achieve economic self-sufficiency for all women, AAUW California supports:

• Pay equity, fairness in compensation, and economic justice.
• Equitable access and advancement in employment, including vigorous enforcement of employment anti-discrimination statutes.
• Strengthening retirement benefits and programs, including pension improvements and protecting Social Security from privatization or reduction in benefits.
• Programs that provide women with education, training, and support for success in the work force.
• Strengthening programs, including welfare and career and technical education, to improve post-secondary education access, career development, and earning potential.
• Greater availability of and access to a high standard of benefits and policies that promote work-life balance.

To support a strong system of high quality public education, AAUW California advocates:

• Adequate and equitable funding for high quality public education for all students.
• Increased support for programs that break through barriers for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
• Protection of programs that meet the needs of girls and women in all levels of education, including vigorous enforcement of Title IX and all other civil rights laws pertaining to education.
• Opposition to the use of public funds for nonpublic elementary and secondary education and for charter schools that do not adhere to the same civil rights and accountability standards as required of public schools.
• Support and adequate funding for women and disadvantaged populations access to higher education, including two-year degree programs.

To guarantee equality, individual rights and social justice for a diverse society, AAUW California supports:

• Choice in the determination of one’s reproductive life.
• Freedom from violence and fear of violence, including bullying and sexual harassment, in homes, schools, workplaces, communities and the military.
• Increased access to quality, affordable health care, and family planning services, including expansion of patient rights.
• Strengthening California programs that improve the lives of children in families living at or below the poverty level.
• Strengthening United Nations programs that address human rights and women’s and girls’ concerns.
• Freedom in definition of family, and guarantee of civil rights in all family structures.
• Vigorous protection of and full access to civil and constitutional rights.