Subject: *ICYMI (Greenville News): Hillary Clinton: Invest in Women Who Work Hard*
From: Adrienne Elrod <[email-masked]>
To: Adrienne Elrod <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2015 11:31:19 -0400

Friends-

I hope all of you had a great weekend.

'Wanted to make sure you had a chance to read the op-ed Hillary Clinton
authored that ran in today's Greenville News, highlighting South Carolina
small business owners and the importance of investing and empowering women.

Thanks!

AE

*Op-Ed: Hillary Clinton: Invest in women who work hard*

Greenville News
By Hillary Clinton
June 8, 2015

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/06/06/hillary-clinton-invest-women-work-hard/28569643/

Ask anyone who owns a small business (or grew up around one) and they’ll
tell you there are two things you need to succeed: determination to see
your business through tough times, and faith that if you keep at it, your
efforts will pay off. On my last trip to South Carolina, I was fortunate to
sit down with women business owners who have both. They accomplish
incredible feats in the span of a single day, from running their business
to running their child to band practice.

They’re pulling their weight and then some — and they deserve a champion in
their corner. I’m running for president because I want to be that champion.
Helping women and families succeed isn’t a side issue; it’s fundamental to
our country’s economic future.

Take Kiki, who opened Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles with her husband a few
years ago. They got off to a slow start, but Kiki kept the faith and stuck
with it. Thanks to word of mouth, social media and the red velvet waffles,
things started to pick up. These days, business is going strong.

Then there’s a mother-and-daughter team, Dana and Miss Rosa, who started a
bakery with money from their 401(k) accounts. After years of hard work, the
leap of faith they took to open their business is paying off: Their recipes
are a secret handed down from generation to generation, but their
coconut-pineapple cake is the talk of the town.

It’s not enough to talk about economic growth and opportunity; we need to
invest in women and families who work hard every day to make those words
mean something. We need smart solutions that take into account how the
economy has changed for women —and how women have changed the economy.

Take the issue of equal pay. Today, women are business owners and community
leaders and heads of household. Forty percent of mothers with young
children are now the sole or primary breadwinners in their family. It’s no
secret that too many women still earn less than men on the job, and for
women of color, it’s even worse. And there are things we can do right now
to address the wage gap head-on in South Carolina and across the country.

We need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which gives women the legal
tools to fight discrimination at work.

We need to promote pay transparency to ensure women have the information
they need to negotiate fairly. You can’t stand up for equal pay if you
don’t know whether you’re paid equally.

We need to raise wages for the lowest paid jobs in America and implement
workplace policies like paid leave and flexible scheduling for parents.
South Carolina is the second worst state in the country, including the
District of Columbia, for working mothers; dead last for professional
opportunities for women, measured by the number of female executives; and
47th in childcare quality. We should be making it easier for women to take
care of their families and succeed at work.

And finally, with nearly 120,000 women-owned businesses in South Carolina,
we need to make sure that women have the support they need to start and
grow their businesses. That means cutting unnecessary red tape, increasing
access to capital, simplifying tax filing, and expanding access to new
markets.

Every person I meet on the campaign trail restores my own faith and
determination that together, we can and must meet the challenges we face. I
carry with me the stories of people like DayzJohna, a young woman I met who
was celebrating her high school graduation. She joined the JROTC, and is
now planning to serve our country in the military. I want DayzJohna to have
every option open for her future — not just to be invited to the table, but
to earn her place at the head.

This is the 21st century, and no one’s potential should be limited by
problems that are within our ability to solve.

*Hillary Clinton is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. She
has been the U.S. Secretary of State, a U.S. senator and the country’s
first lady.*

-- 

Adrienne K. Elrod
Spokesperson
Hillary For America
*www.hillaryclinton.com <http://www.hillaryclinton.com>*
@adrienneelrod