Today, Mayor Pete Buttigieg released ‘Building Power: A Women’s Agenda for the 21st Century,’ the most ambitious and comprehensive plan released by any presidential candidate to invest in women’s economic, political, and social empowerment, tackle gender and race-based health disparities, and break down the systemic barriers that have held women back for far too long. Buttigieg's plan is grounded in bold proposals that will close pay, wealth, and leadership gaps, build safe and inclusive communities, aggressively combat the maternal mortality crisis, and protect a woman’s right to choose.

“Progress for women has come despite systemic sexism and racism, and persistent gender bias. And now, with women’s rights under assault, we can’t wait any longer to ensure women have the power they deserve,” said Buttigieg. “Women’s freedom can’t depend on Washington—it can only come from systematically building women’s power in our economy, our political system, and in every part of our society.”

Women are nearly half the American workforce and hold positions from first responders to CEOs, but they aren’t paid equally for the work that they do. At the current rate, we won’t close the gender pay gap for all women—including the women of color, for whom the gap is largest—for over 200 years. Overwhelming numbers of women face harassment and discrimination, including new and vicious forms of online harassment. Women, particularly Black women and Native American women, are subject to health care policies that restrict their freedom and jeopardize their life and well-being.

Buttigieg's plan takes a clear position on reproductive freedom and justice, with his plan calling for enshrining abortion rights into law, committing to judicial appointments who share his vision of freedom and choice for all Americans which includes reproductive rights, ending the Hyde Amendment and expanding Title X funding.

Pete understands that freedom for women means achieving lasting power. That’s why Pete’s comprehensive plan will:

-Advance women’s health and choice by enshrining abortion rights into law, abolishing the Hyde Amendment, and appointing Supreme Court justices that match the values of his Presidency.

-Close the pay gap by requiring gender pay transparency, banning the use of salary history, and passing a $15 minimum wage.

-Nominate a Cabinet that reflects America, with at least 50 percent women.

-End the maternal mortality crisis and improve maternal and infant health, with a focus on eliminating racial disparities.

-Nominate at least 50 percent women for judicial appointments and prioritize diversity in all federal appointments, including in federal agencies, commissions, and boards.

-Accelerate the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to establish that the rights granted in the Constitution apply equally to men and women.

-End tradeoff between career and family by providing comprehensive support for caregiving, including affordable childcare, paid family and medical leave for all workers, and new Social Security credits for caregiving.

-Ensure that workers have fair and predictable schedules, and restore overtime regulations that protect over four million women.

-Guarantee every woman has affordable health coverage through Medicare for All Who Want It public plan.

-Increase access to startup and scale capital and mentorship for women entrepreneurs by over $50 billion.

-Invest $10 billion to end workplace sexual harassment and discrimination against women, and ban forced arbitration clauses that deny women their right to challenge workplace harassment and discrimination in court.

-Ensure students in every public school in America receive training in consent and bystander intervention.

-Prevent gender-based violence by reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, enacting gun control reforms, and combating rising online harassment of women and girls.

-Support survivors of gender-based violence by increasing funding for affordable housing and shelter services to support women and children escaping domestic violence.

Pete understands that the freedom of women is bound up in the freedom of all Americans.