The President’s Record on Equal Rights

The first bill President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, making progress in a decades-long struggle to ensure women have the tools they need to fight for equal pay for equal work.

The President knows we’ve still got a long way to go to create an economy where hard work pays off, regardless of gender. Women still earn just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same work—that’s why the President established the Equal Pay Task Force and supports the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would give women more tools to fight pay discrimination.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan refuse to stand up for fair pay for women. Romney won't say whether he would have signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and he has avoided taking a position on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Paul Ryan voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Veterans share what the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” means to them.

President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, allowing the Department of Justice to prosecute crimes motivated by a person’s actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

The President knows we’re at our best when everyone has a seat at the table and a fair shot at success. That’s why he:

• Tripled the number of women on the Supreme Court by nominating two women to the bench, including the first Latina Supreme Court justice
• Created the White House Council on Women and Girls to support fair treatment in all matters of public policy
• Launched a broad effort to protect victims of domestic violence and reduce violence against women, including increasing funding to enforce the Violence Against Women Act
• Invested in expanded opportunities for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields