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How will candidates handle pay equity for women?

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    Part 4 of the second presidential debate

  • Duration 8:03
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Second presidential debate: Hofstra University

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And track Obama issue and Mr.

President -- questions -- -- -- is maintaining.

And it's -- Fenton.

Who has a question for you.

In what new ways do you intend to rectify the inequalities in the workplace.

Specifically regarding females making only seven 2% of what their male counterparts -- -- there there's a great question and -- -- I was raised by single -- Who had put herself through school while looking after.

Two kids.

And she worked hard every day and made a lot of sacrifices to make sure we got everything we -- my grandmother.

She started off as a secretary at a bank she never got college education.

Even -- she was Smart as a whip and she worked her way up to become a vice president local bank but.

She hit the glass ceiling.

She trained people.

Who would end up becoming her bosses during the course of her career shouldn't complain that's not what you did in that generation.

And this is one of the reasons why one of the first.

And this is named after this amazing woman who.

Have been doing the same job as a man for years.

Found out which she was getting paid laughs and the Supreme Court said that she could bring suit because she should've found out about earlier where she had no way of finding out about.

So we fix that.

And that's an example of the kind of advocates see that we need because women.

Are.

Increasingly the breadwinners in the family.

This is not just a women's issue this is a family -- -- a middle class issue.

And that's why we've got to fight for.

It also means that we've got to make sure that.

Young people like yourself are able to afford a college education earlier governor Romney talked about he wants to make pell grants and other education.

Accessible for young people.

The truth of the matter is is that that's exactly what we've done we've expanded pell grants for millions of people including millions of young women all across the country.

We did it by taking sixty billion dollars that was going to bank acts.

And lenders as -- for the student loan program and we said.

Let's just -- out the -- let's get the money directly to students and as a consequence we've seen millions of young people be able to afford college.

And that's gonna make sure that young women are going to be able to compete in that marketplace but we've got enforce the laws which is what we are doing.

And we've also got to make sure that in every walk of life.

We do not tolerate discrimination.

That's been one of the hallmarks of my administration.

I'm gonna continued to push on this issue for the next four years.

Governor Romney pay equity for women.

And thank you and important topic.

And one which I learned a great deal about particularly as I was serving as governor by state.

Because I had the chance to pull together a cabinet and all the applicants seem to -- -- And I and I went to my staff and -- said how come all the people for these jobs are -- managed so well these are the people that have the qualifications and I civil gosh can't wait.

-- -- find some some women that are also qualified.

And and -- we took a concerted effort to go on and find the women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet.

I went to a number of women's groups and said can you help us find folks I brought -- -- whole binders full of of women.

I was proud of the fact that after -- staffed by cabinet -- my senior staff.

That the university of New York in Albany to the survey of all fifty states.

And concluded that mine had more women and senior leadership positions than any of the state America.

Now one of the reasons I was able to get so many good women to be part of that team was because of our recruiting effort but number two.

Because I recognize that if you're gonna have women in the workforce that sent -- a need to be more flexible.

My chief of staff for instance had two kids that we're still in school she said I can't be here until 7 or 8 o'clock at night.

I need to be able to get home at 5 o'clock so I can be there for -- -- for my kids and being with the -- they get on preschool so we said fine.

Let's have a flexible schedule so you can have hours -- work for you we're gonna have to have employers in the new economy in the economy I'm gonna bring it to play.

That are gonna be so anxious to get good workers they're gonna be anxious to hire women.

In the in the last four years women have lost 580000.

Jobs.

That's the net of what's happened in the last four years we're still down five and 80000 jobs.

I mentioned three and a half million women more now in poverty than four years ago.

What we can do to help young women.

And women of all ages is to have a strong economy so strong that employers are looking to find good employees.

And bring -- the -- -- workforce and -- adapting to a -- a flexible work schedule that gives women the opportunities that.

That they would otherwise not be able to to afford.

That this is what I've done.

It's what I look forward to doing and I know what it takes to make an economy work.

And I know what a working economy looks like.

And economy with seven point 8% unemployment is not a real strong economy.

An economy that that that has 23 million people looking for work is not a strong economy an economy.

With with 50% of kids graduating from college they can't find a job.

Or college level job that's that we have to have -- and help women in America get what get good work by getting a stronger economy and by supporting women in the work.

Mr.

President -- you get in on this that quickly please get there I just want point out that one governor Romney's campaign was asked about the Lilly Ledbetter bill.

-- -- -- certain -- -- And that's not the kind of have to concede that women need in any economy.

Now.

There some other issues that they have a bearing on how women succeed in the workplace.

For example their health care.

-- a major difference in this campaign.

Is that governor Romney.

Feels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide.

The health care choices that women are making.

I think that's a mistake.

In my health care bill I said insurance companies need to provide contraceptive coverage.

To everybody who is in short.

Because this is not just -- a health issue it's an economic issue for women.

It makes a difference this is money out of that family's pocket.

Governor Romney not only opposed it.

He suggested that in fact employer should be able to make the decision as to whether.

Or not a woman gets.

Contraception through -- insurance coverage.

That's not the kind of advocates see that women need.

When governor Romney says that we should eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood there are.

Millions of women all across the country.

Who rely on Planned Parenthood for not just contraceptive -- that rely -- it for mammograms.

For cervical cancer screenings.

That's a pocketbook issue for women and families all across the country.

And it makes a difference in terms of how well and effectively women are able to work.

When we talk about child care.

And the credits that were provided.

That makes a difference in terms of whether they can go out there and -- living for their family.

These are not just women's issues.

These -- family issues these -- economic issues.

And one of the things that makes us role as an economy is when everybody participates and women are getting the same fair deal as -- -- And I've got three daughters and I want to make sure.

Today at the same opportunities.

That anybody sunset.

That's part of what I'm fighting force -- United States -- -- move us along.

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