Lois Capps: “All you need to do is watch one episode of ``Mad Men'' to know that women in the workforce have come a long way. While…”

“All you need to do is watch one episode of ``Mad Men'' to know that women in the workforce have come a long way. While we would like to say that everything is better now, we certainly know that is not the case. On the central coast of California and across the United States, women continue to earn less than men for equal work. Child care costs more than college tuition. Access to earned paid family leave, maternity leave, and sick days is lagging. These are barriers for women, but they also have a ripple effect on their families and on our local economies. We are not powerless to address this, and that is why I hosted an open community forum last week to explore the many ways that we can support an economy that works for women and families. That is why we need a vote on the Women's Economic Agenda, a slate of legislative proposals to strengthen the middle class and our local economies. Because we know that when women succeed, America succeeds. ____________________”