2nd October 2024

Questions for Equality: Your 2024 United States Election Guide

Bodily autonomy, the rape epidemic, gaps in equal pay, receiving and providing paid care, and protections from child marriage and female genital mutilation are all on the ballot this United States election year. This guide will help you ask future leaders of the US questions about these issues.

Who’s it for?

  • For Influencers: your voices are key to highlighting the existing gaps in the U.S. Constitution concerning gender, economic empowerment, sexual orientation, and other forms of discrimination.
  • For our Partners: Together, our work can address the intersectional nature of constitutional equality and its broader impact on various rights, including reproductive rights, economic rights, and protection against gender-based violence
  • For Activists: Your commitment to gender equality helps to break down complex legal language and historical context to ensure that the 2024 election year is a critical moment to challenge the future of the US.

Key takeaways and recommendations

  • According to the US Census Bureau, in 2023, women working full-time earned just under 83 cents for every dollar earned by men. Black women earned an average of 64 cents on the dollar compared to white men, and Hispanic women earned just 51 cents on the dollar. However, the United States does not have a law mandating equal pay for work of equal value.
  • Access to healthcare, including abortion, is a matter of equality. Abortion bans disproportionately discriminate against Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as economically disadvantaged communities.
  •  85% of United Nations Member States have constitutions that prohibit discrimination based on sex and/or gender. The United States is not one of them.
  • Victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse face an increased risk of stalking, domestic abuse, loss of employment, damaged reputation, and emotional trauma.
  •  1 in 6 women in the US will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected.
  • Women perform nearly 3 times more unpaid care and domestic work due to traditional gender norms and stereotypes about women’s role in the family.

Explore more resources

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