Weekly Address: It's Time to Help Women and Working Families

In this week’s address, the President highlighted the progress our economy is making, and the commonsense policies that could make it even stronger by ensuring that everyone who works hard has the opportunity to get ahead, especially women and working families.

This commitment has been a core part of the President’s Year of Action and a priority since the start of his administration, which is why he has put forth a range of policies that would help women and working families get ahead, from raising the minimum wage, to ensuring equal pay for equal work, to increasing access to high-quality child care and paid family leave. This week’s address follows remarks the President delivered on Friday at Rhode Island College, where he discussed the importance of harnessing our economy’s momentum by making policy choices that will help women and all working parents fully participate in and contribute to our economy.

Click here to watch this week's Weekly Address.

78 Cents for Every Dollar

Today, more women are the primary breadwinners in their households than ever before. But despite the progress women have made in the workplace, on average, women still earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns.

As President Obama said in Rhode Island today, "At a time when women are the primary breadwinners in more households than ever, that hurts the whole family if they're not getting paid fairly."

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What Makes America Exceptional:

Yesterday, in the East Room of the White House, the President joined health care workers who have been serving on the front lines to combat Ebola in West Africa. In his remarks, President Obama thanked these workers for their extraordinary and selfless work, and called on us to honor them as well.

"That's what's happening because of American leadership, and it is not abstract: it is people who are willing to go there at significant sacrifice to make a difference," he said. "That's American exceptionalism. That's what we should be proud of. That's who we are."

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Photo: Middle School MASTERS Visit the White House

On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed the finalists of the 2014 Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars) competition to the White House. These inspiring middle school students came from across the country to present their research projects and participate in a team STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) challenge.

President Barack Obama greets 2014 Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars) finalists in the Oval Office, Oct. 28, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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