NOW and Social Security

The Social Security program keeps millions of people out of poverty in the U.S. -- many of them women. Throughout their lives, women on average are paid less then men, and they often work at part-time jobs or take extended leave from the workforce for raising children and other forms of caregiving. As a result, women are less likely to have pensions, investments or life savings, making them extremely vulnerable in retirement.

In addition, women rely on Social Security for disability benefits and to help provide for their family when a spouse dies. These are among the many reasons NOW is working to modernize and improve Social Security benefits and vigorously opposes any effort to cut, compromise or privatize this essential program.

General Information:

• Basic Statistics On Social Security And Women (PDF)
• NOW Statistics Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Lobbying Tips for NOW Activists (PDF)
• Dont Make Us Work Til We Die (PDF)

Take Action:

• Super Committee May Raid Your Social Security, Medicare Funds

Latest News

• Open Letter to President Obama: NOW Urges 2012 Wake-Up Call for Nation (01/12)
• Super Committee May Raid Your Social Security, Medicare Funds (11/11)
• NOW Blasts Super Committee's Irresponsible Proposals (11/11)
• Tell Obama "Jobs, Not Cuts" (09/11)
• Debt Ceiling Deal a Blow to Women's Economic Security (08/11)
• Debt Deal Could Disproportionately Harm Women (07/11)
• The Federal Budget is A Feminist Issue: A Toolkit for Chapters and Activists (07/11)
• Respect, Protect, Reject 2012 (07/11)
• Leaders Call for Budget Deal to Address the Needs of Women; Cuts being proposed could impact those most vulnerable, including women, families, and seniors (07/11)
• Leaders of Women's Organizations Urge President and Congress to Protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (07/11)
• Tell the President to Reconsider Bad Deal (07/11)
• NOW Declares Emergency Rally for Women in the 2012 Budget Outside Senator Rubio's Tampa Office Friday (06/11)
• Here They Go Again — AARP Undermining Seniors' Benefits (06/11)
• TAKE ACTION: Radical Budget Proposals Will Harm Economy and Hurt Women & Families (06/11)
• Leaders of Women's Organizations Sign Letter to President Obama Calling for Meeting on Budget, Ask that Women be Included in Deficit Talks (05/11)
• Task Force on Older Women's Economic Security to President: Women's Issues and Voices Must Be Heard in Budget Talks (05/11)
• Take Action: Urge Senators to Vote Against Destructive House Budget Bill (05/11)
• NOW Activists Demand: Don't Make Us Work 'Til We Die (05/11)
• It's 'Shock and Awe' for Women, the Middle Class and the Poor (04/11)
• President Obama Pledges to Protect Social Security NOW Calls for Plan that Addresses Real Causes of Deficit (04/11)
• Gender Wage Gap, Current Threats to Economic Justice Linked (04/11)
• Social Security: Tell Your Senators to Oppose Benefit Cuts (03/11)
• NOW Looks Forward to 'Sputnik Moment' for Women (01/11)
• NOW Writes An Open Letter to President Obama (PDF) (01/11)

For decades NOW has worked to strengthen and protect Social Security, while conservatives and Wall Street have waged a recurring campaign to gut and/or privatize the program. Much of the information developed in previous years remains relevant to our ongoing efforts.

Archive

2010

• Send a Message to President Obama: Women Need Social Security (12/10)
• Urge Congress to Amend Lopsided Tax Package and Protect Social Security (12/10)
• NOW Urges Senate to Reject Obama Tax Plan: Economy Can Be Stimulated Without Undermining Social Security (12/10)
• Good News and Bad News for Women in Deficit Commission Vote (12/10)
• National Call-In Day to Protect Social Security (11/10)
• Ten Reasons the Social Security Proposal of the Fiscal Commission Co-Chairs Should be DOA coalition fact sheet (PDF) (11/10)
• Tell Congress: Don't Cut Social Security coalition flyer for Nov. 30 Call-In Day (PDF) (11/10)
• "Count On Me" to Help Protect Social Security on Nov. 30 (11/10)
• Pelosi Elected Minority Leader; Pelosi, Schakowsky Demonstrate Leadership in Trying Times (11/10)
• NOW Calls On President Obama To Reject Fiscal Commission's Assault On Social Security (11/10)
• Oppose the "Cat Food" Commission -- Build the Campaign Against Raising the Retirement Age (10/10)
• NOW President Delivers Gift and Message to Alan Simpson: Don't Cut Social Security (09/10)
• NOW to Deliver 1,500 "Tits for an Ass" to Alan Simpson (09/10)
• Don't Cut Social Security: NOW Letter to Senate (PDF) (09/10)
• Urge Democratic Women House Members to Sign Letter: Alan Simpson Must Go (09/10)
• Join NOW in Calling on President Obama to Fire Alan Simpson (8/10)
• NOW to President Obama: Alan Simpson Must Go (08/10)
• Stop the Stealth Attack on Social Security (08/10)
• NOW Participates in Launch of Campaign to Protect and Strengthen Social Security (07/10)
• NOW Calls for Leadership from President Obama on Key Women's Rights Issues (03/10)
• NOW Echoes President Obama: Don't Quit on Women (01/10)

2005-2009

• Say NO to Commission that will Cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (12/09)
• NOW Foundation Testimony at Congressional Briefing on Social Security and Women (11/07)
• Contact Conress: Pension Bill Aids Spouses, but May Attack Social Security (10/05)
• Social Security Turns 70: Bush Plans Forced Retirement (09/05)
• Social Security: The Fight of a Lifetime (8/05)
• We Owe Social Security to a Woman (8/05)
• Cut the Cake, Not the Benefits! Celebrate Social Security's 70th Birthday (8/05)
• A Community Dialogue on Social Security & Women (6/05)
• Viewpoint: A Foolish Bargain for Women (5/05)
• Talking Social Security While the Privatization Push Continues (5/05)
• NOW to George W. Bush: No Benefit Cuts, No Way (4/05)
• NOW Opposes White House Attempt to Privatize Social Security (4/05)
• Stand Up and Speak Out for Social Security on April 26th (4/05)
• Women's Organizations Condemn Privatizers' Attacks on Stay-At-Home Moms, Cite Gross Hypocrisy of Party Claiming Mantle of Family Values (3/05)
• Talking Points About Women, Social Security and Privatization (3/05)
• Information Sources on Social Security (3/05)
• Facts: Social Security Is Vital to Women (3/05)
• Audio from National Council of Women's Organizations Press Conference on Social Security (2/05)
• Women Answer the President on Social Security (2/05)
• NOW Warns Women About Bush's Social Security Scheme (2/05)
• Letter from NOW and NAACP to George W. Bush Regarding a "Separate but Equal" Social Security System (1/05)
• Bond, Gandy: Mr. President, Social Security Should Not Be Separate But Equal (Campaign for America's Future) (1/05)
• Statement of the National Council of Women's Organizations Task Force on Women and Social Security on "Gender Adjustments" (1/05)
• Editorial by Kim Gandy in the San Francisco Chronicle: Social Security: A 'reform' only Wall Street could love (1/05)
• Viewpoint: Don't Worry About Your Golden Years, Wall Street's Got Just the Plan for You (1/05)
• NOW Takes Leading Role in Saving Social Security; The Faces of Social Security (1/05)

1998 - 2004

• Privatizing Social Security Will Hurt Women (12/04)
• NOW Joins Aggressive Campaign to Stop Destruction of Social Security (12/04)
• Fact Sheet: Social Security (11/04)
• The Faces of Social Security (Spring 2002)
• Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy: Women Need Real Economic Security (2/02)
• Feminists Call For Strengthening Social Security, Not Peddling Privatization (8/01)
• Women and Social Security Impact Presidential Race (8/00)
• Strengthening Social Security for Women: A Report from the Working Conference on Women and Social Security (7/99)
• Viewpoint:Women Most Vulnerable in Social Security Debate (Winter 1999)
• Social Security Vital to Women (Spring 1999)
• Social Security Preservation a Top Priority for NOW (Spring 1999)
• NOW President Patricia Ireland Joins National Leaders In Call to Strengthen Social Security (12/98)
• Statement of NOW President Patricia Ireland On Social Security (12/98)

See Also:

• Social Security Administration