An Important Overlooked Constituency

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As Americans count down to the end of the Bush administration, they know the next president will inherit a nation rife with problems. He or she will face a war with no end in sight, an economy most likely in recession, an unprecedented national debt, and a national government severely damaged by eight years of cronyism and executive power grabs. The next president will also have to address the particular challenges faced by an important segment of the American population: single women. A report released this week by the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) and Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV) details the difficulties single women face in today’s economy. Forty percent make under $30,000 a year, less than married people or single men. Of 12.2 million single-parent households in the United States, more than 10 million are headed by single women. "[F]or the last eight years, the needs of unmarried women have been largely ignored," write the report’s authors, Page Gardner, WVWV founder, and John Podesta, President and CEO of CAPAF. The next president has an opportunity to lead and address the unique challenges single women face.

REWARD WORK TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITY: Single women still suffer unequal pay. They make only 56 cents to the married man’s dollar. Overall, women’s median wages pay only 77 cents for every dollar men earn. The next president should raise the minimum wage to 50 percent of the average wage, Gardner and Podesta say. Even after last year’s raise -- the first in a decade -- an employee working 40 hours a week at minimum wage only earns $15,080, barely above the poverty line for a family of two ($14,000) and under the poverty line for a family of three ($17,600). Improving access to higher education will also help single women close the wage gap; currently, 84 percent of single mothers do not have a college degree. Just yesterday, the Washington Post reported that nearly 50 student lenders -- 12 percent of the market -- "have stopped issuing federally guaranteed loans in recent weeks because of paralysis in the credit markets," making it harder for single women to afford college. Addressing the credit crisis will thus be an integral duty of the next president. With over 35 percent of children born to single women in 2005, single women have a large stake in their children’s future. The next president must invest heavily in early childhood education and make universal preschool a reality, the report states. It is a sound investment: For every $1 invested in high-quality early-childhood education, the estimated return is $7.

A RENEWED SOCIAL CONTRACT: The average cost of child care can range anywhere between $3,000 and $13,000 a year per child -- an enormous burden for struggling single women. Though some funds are currently available for state-run child care subsidy programs, "the next president should make child care assistance available to all families below 200 percent of the poverty level," Gardner and Podesta write. Moreover, the United States and Australia are the only industrialized countries that don’t require employers to offer paid maternity leave for new mothers, though some states do -- another issue the next president will have to address. The housing crisis has a disproportionate effect on single women as well, as they are more likely to be subprime borrowers. They also spend proportionally more on housing than single men. "Unmarried women need a president who will make affordable housing a priority." Finally, Social Security must continue to be part of the guaranteed safety net. "More than a third -- 35 percent -- of unmarried women are over the age of 50 and face retirement on their own rather than with combined savings with a spouse," and older, single women are one of the poorest demographic groups in the United States. The CAPAF report recommends universal 401(k) accounts to encourage saving, an idea economist Tyler Cowen calls "the most likely to bring general prosperity" among proposals to address inequality.

IMPROVED HEALTH CARE FOR ALL: Health coverage is a particularly important issue for women. Four in 10 women have a chronic condition that requires ongoing medical care -- a significantly higher rate of chronic illness than men experience. At the same time, approximately 20 percent of single women have no health coverage at all. Gardner and Podesta emphasize the need for universal health care coverage that covers complete physical and mental health. This must cover fair access to reproductive health options, including prenatal care, well-woman care, abortion, and contraception. Finally, a strengthened and expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Plan -- twice vetoed by President Bush -- could provide needed assistance to single women trying to provide health care for their children.