Reading Room

The importance of Social Security and Medicare to the retirement security of millions of American women cannot be overstated. The National Committee's grassroots advocacy and education will help raise awareness and generate greater interest in these programs and women's health and retirement issues.

In the “Women, Money and Power” study by Allianz, almost half the women surveyed responded that they “often” or “sometimes” fear losing all their money and becoming homeless. This fear permeated all income levels — a third of respondents who make $200,000 or more per year still reported that they were afraid of becoming bag ladies.

Women now comprise nearly half of the nation’s workers, and 70% of mothers with children under age 18 are in the labor force.1 In September 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau released national statistics on poverty and income, reporting that 16% of women live below the poverty line and that median earnings for women are only 78% of men’s earnings, a gap that has persisted for several years.

Max Richtman, President/CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and Rep Gwen Moore (WI-4) discuss Eleanor's Hope on the Mark Thompson Show, Sirius XM.

When I starting out in the world on my own in the late 1950s, there weren't many careers available to women. Our choices were mostly confined to waitress or office worker and, for the few who attended college, teacher or nurse.