What women really want this election year

Women are in the spotlight this election season, but not for the reasons you may think.

Voting in the United States has historically misrepresented the full canvas of the country’s population. But women are closing the gap: since 1980, women have consistently registered and turned out to vote at higher rates than men.

Yet female representation in elected office continues to lag.

This means women must show up at the polls to make their voice heard on policy decisions, which too often do not reflect or account for their real concerns.

That is why YWCA conducts its biennial YWomenVote survey. This year’s survey, conducted in late June and early July, asked women around the country what matters most to them.

The survey aims to assess women’s enthusiasm for voting and to identify the issues and policies of most priority, paying keen attention to intersectional demographic groups, including along racial, political and generational lines.

Among the main findings: women are united around key issues, regardless of generational, political, racial or ethnic identities. At the top of the list are economic security, access to reproductive healthcare and freedom from violence.

Policy-wise, safety is a primary concern. 73% of women feel it is critical to prevent gun violence and mass shootings and 72% believe it very important to ensure workplaces be safe spaces, free from all gender aggression.

These were followed closely by policies to strengthen equal pay laws, increase access to safe and affordable housing, expand access to affordable mental health care, provide paid leave, and protect access to contraception, all necessary tools for women’s economic security and autonomy.

We also asked women why they do not turn out to the polls. The results confirm what we feared, which is that political cynicism and disillusionment are rampant.

Lack of trust in candidates was cited as one of the most popular reasons, fueled by divisive rhetoric and an unchecked stream of information. We must focus the conversation on policy solutions, not personalities.

Women vote not just for themselves, but for the collective good of their families and their communities. They vote for each other, for the voiceless … and for men. Our society benefits when women turn out to vote. We cannot afford for them to be disillusioned this time, when so many of women’s top concerns are on the ballot.

As we count down to Nov. 5, we encourage all, but especially women, to learn and exercise their right to vote. A decision not to vote in some case can have irreparable, ripple effects.

It has only been 104 years since women secured the right to vote. We cannot take this right for granted or continue to allow decisions to be made for us. We must make our voices heard for you, for me, for her.

Kerry-Ann Royes is president and CEO of YWCA South Florida, a 104-year-old nonprofit dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. She wrote this for the Miami Herald.