Today more women than ever work outside the home and contribute to the economic security of their families. Yet, women can face significant challenges in the workplace -- they are more likely to rely on minimum wage work; they too often are paid less than men for the same work; they may have difficulty gaining access to credit to start small businesses; and, while they live longer than men, they reach retirement with smaller pensions and other assets.

As First Lady, Mrs. Clinton has championed efforts to help ensure the economic security of women and their families. For example, she has advocated access to microcredit -- small loans made to non-traditional borrowers -- to enable thousands of American women to start their own small businesses. Mrs. Clinton also has supported the Administration' s efforts to increase the minimum wage, promote equal pay laws, and fund legal services for low-income families. She has worked to ensure that bankruptcy reform does not adversely impact women and families, particularly in terms of child support collection. In the Social Security debate she has focused her attention on ensuring that the features of Social Security that are important to women are preserved and strengthened.

Below is more detailed information on specific women's issues:

Microcredit

Remarks at the 1998 Microenterprise Awards (2/5/99)

Remarks at Washington DC Microcredit Summit (2/3/97)

For more information on this topic, please visit the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund at the US Treasury and the Small Business Administration.

Social Security

Column on Social Security (2/17/99)

Remarks at Social Security Teleconference Discussion (1/23/99)

Column on Social Security Reform (1/20/99)

For more information on this topic, please visit the Social Security Administration.

Legal Services

For more information on this topic, please visit the Legal Services Corporation.

Women's Economic Security

Remarks at Equal Pay Roundtable with the President (4/7/99)

Remarks at the Women's Equality Summit (3/15/99)

Women's Leadership Forum Speech on Women and Politics (3/3/99)

Column on Minimum Wage (10/14/98)

For more information on this topic, please visit the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor and the US Treasury.

Women's Rights and Empowerment

• Sacagawea Coin Unveiling/Tribute to Native American Women (5/4/99)
• Column on Women's History Month (3/17/99)
• Remarks to the Women's Equality Summit at the National Education Association (3/15/99)
• Remarks at the White House Millennium Evening on Women/Women as Citizens: Vital Voices Throughout the Century (3/15/99)
• Remarks to the Women's Leadership Forum on Women and Politics (3/3/99)
• Remarks at the United Jewish Appeal Lion of Judah Conference (9/14/98)
• Remarks at the 150th Anniversary of the First Women's Rights Convention, Seneca Falls (7/16/98)
• Remarks at Women in Law Enforcement Event (7/8/98)
• Remarks at the Women's Leadership Forum (4/18/97)
• Remarks at the New York Women's Agenda Star Breakfast (11/28/95)
• Remarks at the Pentagon Celebrating Women's History Month (3/1/95)

  For more information about women's history as it relates to this topic, please visit the National Archives Women's Research Website.