Job creation and economic opportunity are critical issues for women, many of whom continue to struggle with economic insecurity and wage discrimination.

Despite civil rights laws and advancements in women's economic status, workplace discrimination still persists. Typically, women who work full time take home about 80 cents for every dollar a full-time male worker earns. Over a career, women's total earnings loss compared with men are $700,000 for a high school graduate, $1.2 million for a college graduate, and $2 million for a professional school graduate.