Social Security Matters for Women

A message from the American Association of University Women (AAUW): Tell Your Members of Congress that Slashing Benefits is Not an Option. Click here to

Take Action!

The American Association of University Women emphatically opposes slashing or means-testing benefits, raising the retirement age, toying with risky privatization schemes, or raiding the program in a misguided attempt to reduce the deficit. In AAUW's 2011-2013 Public Policy Program, we support strengthening Social Security while enacting common-sense reforms and improvements. Social Security matters for women and girls. The program, which has over 70 years of successes, is one of our nation's best anti-poverty programs and provides critical benefits to millions children, disabled workers, surviving spouses, and retirees. Without Social Security, it is estimated that over half of elderly women would live in poverty -- after all, older women frequently don't have 401(k) accounts or sufficient retirement savings, have contended with a lifetime of pay inequities, and generally outlive their spouses and men in the workforce. If you've been paying into the program, Social Security is there to help pay for necessary services and accommodations if you become disabled, just as it is for millions of Americans today. Social Security survivors' benefits are still the largest and most generous life insurance program in the country, insuring 98% of American children against the loss of a parent and caretaker. In short, Social Security is a national commitment through which we care for one another across generations. Send this message to Congress. Tell your Senators and Representatives that Social Security matters for you, that it matters for your children and their children, and that it matters for all women and girls. Take Action! To send a message to congress, click the "Take Action" like above. Then, you'll be able to add your own story to the draft email provided. Double your impact! Tweet, Facebook, and forward this action alert to friends and family. Follow AAUW on Twitter, and read our award-winning AAUW Dialog Blog for discussion, information, and advocacy for women and girls! General AAUW questions? Please contact connect@aauw.org or call 800/326-2289 between 10 am and 5 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday.