When women succeed, communities flourish, and when women lead, countries grow stronger. As the first woman Speaker of the House, I stood on the shoulders of those who have come before me — Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth – and every other pioneer who fought to empower and inspire women. I am committed to policies that ensure equality and opportunity for all women, from ensuring equal pay for equal work, protecting a woman’s right to choose, ending gender-based discrimination in all areas, supporting programs addressing violence against women in any form, and improving access to affordable, quality health care and education.

For too long, America’s women have faced outdated policies and practices that prevent them from fully participating in our economy. Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, what President John F. Kennedy called the “unconscionable practice” – paying women less than men for the same amount of work – continues to persist. Women make only 77 cents to every dollar earned by men, making it harder for the 40 percent of families with female breadwinners to make ends meet.

If we are ever going to unleash the intellect, the determination, and the courage of women into the world, we need affordable, quality childcare. The high cost of child care is forcing too many mothers and families to choose between the lesser of two evils: either low-quality child care or forgoing much needed wages for child care needs. As we work to help employees better balance the demands of work and family, we must also expand and improve the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow working parents to meet their needs at home, support their families, and ensure the health and safety of America’s workers.

That is why House Democrats are offering the When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families–an agenda to address the economic challenges facing women and families today: