Obama vs. Romney Polls: Women's Issues - Which Candidate Is Better for Women?

Much is being made of Mitt Romney's "binders full of women" comment at the second presidential debate on Tuesday night.

When asked about a bill that would guarantee equal pay for women who do the same jobs as their male counterparts, Romney responded with a story about how he went out of his way find "whole binders full of women" who were qualified to be in his cabinet.

The Romney campaign says that the governor's response, while inelegant, demonstrates his commitment to women's issues. But which candidate's policies actually help women the most?

Equal Pay
The first bill President Obama signed upon taking office was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which extended the statute of limitations for a woman to bring suit against an employer who has been underpaying her. A far more encompassing bill that would guarantee equal pay for equal work for women passed the House of Representatives, but was shot down in the Senate amidst Republican opposition.

At the time, Romney did not support the larger bill, but he has not said whether he currently would support something similar. Obama has been unequivocal in his support of the bill.

Hiring Women
Half of Romney's Massachusetts cabinet was comprised of women. His lieutenant governor was a woman, and his longtime chief of staff is a woman. However, Romney's assertion that he initiated the search for female candidates was refuted by the women's groups he worked with, who stated that they undertook the task before the election, planning to present their findings to whomever was elected.

Obama's cabinet has five women out of the thirteen positions, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Obama also appointed two female Supreme Court justices.

During the second presidential debate, Obama referred to women's issues as "family issues" and "economic issues."

Contraception
Romney has vowed to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood, which provides contraception, abortion care, cancer screenings and general healthcare to low-income women. New studies say that access to free contraception reduces abortion rates by 75 percent.

Romney also opposes the Affordable Care Act, as well as a provision in the act that requires private insurers to cover birth control, in the same way that they cover medication for erectile dysfunction, even if an employer objects on religious grounds.

Obama's primary success during his first term was the Affordable Care Act, which independent agencies say will extend health insurance benefits to millions of Americans, including many women and children.

He supports funding for Planned Parenthood and has stated that he believes employers should not be able to determine whether their employees have access to free birth control.

Abortion
Obama supports Roe vs. Wade and legalized abortion.

Romney has stated that he disagrees with Roe vs. Wade and believes abortion rights should be decided at the state level. While he has not stated a position unequivocally, he has implied on several occasions that he will seek to have the decision overturned.

He also intends to remove federal funding from Planned parenthood for all services, including those not associated with abortion.

Polls

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