Almost half a year has passed, but the 2008 election still looms as an epochal event. With a record voter turnout, the American people, including members of many groups who have been excluded from the political process, changed the face of the nation’s leadership and the direction of our public policies.

Washington, D.C. – With unmarried Americans bearing a disproportionate share of the nation’s economic hard times, Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV) today released a report titled, “The Economics of Unmarried America” aimed at drawing a clear and nonpartisan picture of the lives of unmarried Americans. The report’s findings were compiled by Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C.

By Page Gardner

As a woman, I was proud to help so many other women get registered to vote for the 2008 elections. “Women's Voices. Women Vote,” the organization that I founded, registered over 900,000 women in the months leading up to the November elections.

In 2008’s Presidential election 133 million Americans cast ballots, which represents the largest number of voters to ever participate in a U.S. election. This result is certainly a great accomplishment; however, WVWV strongly believes that it is time for significant reform to ensure that the remaining 79 million Americans who were eligible, but did not cast their votes, are encouraged and able to do so in future elections.

WVWV has drawn on the substantial research efforts of leading reform groups, but takes a new look at the challenges facing voters, registration groups, and state and local officials by highlighting the disproportionate effect of existing laws on under-represented populations. While young voters, African Americans, Latinos, and unmarried women are now the majority of the population, exit polls from the 2008 general election show that in the aggregate, these groups represented only 46 percent of the 2008 electorate.

For Many, Tremendous Obstacles Remain in Accessing Democracy Comprehensive report released today by Women’s Voices. Women Vote outlines critical areas in need of election reform.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/04/womens_voices_women_vote_repor.html

Washington, D.C.– Seeking to focus the attention of lawmakers and election reform groups on the obstacles to full participation of the American electorate and the path to election reform, Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV) today released a comprehensive report titled, “Access to Democracy: Identifying Obstacles Hindering the Right to Vote.” Consolidating a variety of studies from expert sources into one document, the findings confirm the most significant obstacles to voter participation and outline those election reforms which would yield the most positive results.

As a woman and a Virginian, I was proud to help so many women get registered to vote for the 2008 elections. Women’s Voices. Women Vote, the organization which I founded, registered over 40,000 women in the state of Virginia in the months leading up to the November elections.

These women made the effort to get registered because they believed that change was possible. Then these same women came out in November and voted for change and for hope. Now, we must hold our elected leaders accountable for bringing about that change that we voters have demanded. President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 budget is an important next step in bringing about that change.

Washington, D.C. – February’s unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), released today, reinforces what one advocacy group has been emphasizing for years: Unmarried women are among the hardest hit during an economic crisis. The current overall unemployment rate is 8.1% and for unmarried women, 9.5% is not only higher than the national average, but is also essentially double that of married women (5.1%).

By Page S. Gardner
My recent memo to the progressive community demonstrates that unless progressives put forth a sustained effort to engage our base, there is likely to be a significant drop off in electoral participation in 2010.

Statement by Page S. Gardner, President, Women’s Voices. Women Vote:

“Today’s signing of the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan by President Barack Obama is a much needed boost for not only the American economy generally, but for those who are among the hardest hit by this economic crisis.

“Unmarried women are suffering from the effects of this recession – the January 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistic numbers tell the story of the marriage gap. The current national unemployment figures show that, while married women were experiencing an unemployment rate of 4.9%, unmarried women had an unemployment rate of 9.3%—in other words, unmarried women had an unemployment rate that is almost double of married women.

"The economic downturn has had a catastrophic impact on the country and this economic recovery and reinvestment package comes at a critical time. This package will create much needed jobs and stability for families struggling to make ends meet,” Gardner concluded.

Statement by Page S. Gardner, President, Women's Voices. Women Vote (www.wvwv.org):

"The U.S. Senate’s upcoming vote on the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is a much needed boost for not only the American economy generally, but for those who are among the hardest hit by this economic crisis.”

“Today’s unemployment numbers issued by the Labor Department, the worst unemployment numbers since 1974, paint a bleak story for the American economy, 7.6% unemployment overall. Unmarried women are unemployed at an even higher rate than the overall national average – Unmarried women’s’ unemployed rate is 9.3% while married women’s unemployed rate is below the national average at 4.9%.

“For the millions of unmarried women across American worrying about how to provide health care for their children, President Obama’s actions today reauthorizing and expanding SCHIP sends the message that change has come to Washington and help is on the way. Women’s Voices. Women’s Vote applauds the President for signing this critical piece of legislation that will preserve access to healthcare of low-income families.

Statement by Page S. Gardner, president, Women’s Voices. Women Vote, on the vote by the U.S. Senate in favor of State Children’s Health Insurance Program legislation:

“Today the U.S. Senate passed State Children’s Health Insurance Program legislation, preserving access to healthcare of low-income families. I commend the Senators who support this legislation, providing services critical to women who are single, separated, divorced or widowed. Women on their own are the fastest growing large demographic in our country and nearly a fifth of whom are single moms, with children living at home.

Statement by Page S. Gardner, president, Women’s Voices. Women Vote, on the vote by the U.S. Senate on the Lilly Ledbetter Act:

“Today’s Senate vote is a great victory in providing equality for our nation’s women, especially those who are single, separated, widowed or divorced. Passage of the Lilly Ledbetter legislation today removes another road-block toward pay equality for unmarried women, who are supporting themselves and often their children on earnings that are only 56 percent of what married men earn. Victims of pay discrimination rarely realize any form of discrimination has occurred until after pay decisions are made.