Women’s Economic Security Scorecard – 2017 Progress Report

Women’s Economic Security Scorecard – 2017 Progress Report

Ohio legislators wield a vast influence on the lives of women and their families through the public policies that they create, and it is critically important that these policies reflect the realities facing Ohio women. There is immense opportunity for legislation that fosters economic opportunity, creates a supportive workplace for women and working mothers, and improves women’s access to affordable and comprehensive health care. At the same time, legislation that currently does get introduced, heard, and signed into law often does not align with the priorities of the women and families that it impacts.

Women’s voices must be at the core of public policies that impact them. Women are the backbone of many families, are increasingly likely to be the breadwinner in Ohio households, and disproportionately take on caregiving duties for children and sick or aging family members. The economic security of these women and their families is inextricably tied to women’s’ ability to access affordable, comprehensive health services.

We hope that the Women’s Public Policy Network’s Legislative Scorecard enables advocates and community leaders to become more engaged and guides lawmakers to center the needs of women in their policymaking. The Women’s Public Policy Network created its Legislative Scorecard to monitor the bills crafted by state lawmakers and to evaluate how their work aligns with the network’s policy goals. This project aims to serve as a tool for organizations, partners, community leaders, and citizens to better understand the policies moving through the Ohio General Assembly. It also serves as a guide for policymakers to inform which bills they prioritize and how those bills can most positively impact the lives of women.

The Legislative Scorecard demonstrates how the Ohio legislature (composed of the 99-member House of Representatives and the 33-member Senate) performed on the policy goals outlined in the Women’s Public Policy Network’s shared policy agenda. The network released its first Legislative Scorecard in 2016 to evaluate the 131st General Assembly (2015 – 2016) and will release new reports at the end of each two-year General Assembly, as well as a Progress Report to evaluate the first year of progress from that General Assembly. The following 2017 Progress Report reviews the performance of the 132nd General Assembly (2017 – 2018) up until the conclusion of the 2017 legislative session.

Read the full report here: Women’s Economic Security Scorecard – 2017 Progress Report