Women voters say U.S. health care and workplaces must change post-pandemic, poll shows

Mar 19, 2021

By Errin Haines

Most women are worried about both racial and economic disparities in vaccine rollout, as well as the toll of the pandemic on low-income workers.

A majority of women voters say they want a new normal at work and in health care in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis’s disproportionate impact on their mental and economic health, according to a new poll from the Women & Politics Institute at American University and the Barbara Lee Family Foundation.

The poll also found that more than 7 in 10 Democratic women believe there are too few women in elected office, compared with about 1 in 4 Republican women. Almost 6 in 10 women overall believe that electing more women could help address the issues facing the country, including the ongoing pandemic and recovery.

This pandemic has brought the role of government to the front doorstep of many women, said Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director at the Women & Politics Institute at American University.

“For some, who perhaps had been focused on living their lives rather than paying attention to politics, it arrived with a bang: How would they keep their families safe, teach their children, or help with aging and vulnerable parents?” Martin said. “They spoke up, they voted and now they have a vested interest in how this country recovers.”

 

Read more at The 19th News

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to keep track of all things gender and politics.

[gravityform id="2" title="false" description="false"]

Join the Conversation