Name: Gov. Steve Bullock on issues that matter to working women
Uploaded: 2020-01-27
Duration: 5 min 30 s
Description: The former 2020 presidential candidate joins Fortune and Time's Up for a digital forum on gender equity and working families.

Our family's plan was to complete my second term as governor and close the book on this chapter of public service. But what we're experiencing now in this country compelled us to ask whether there was more that we could contribute. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] If I should come out supporting the family act which would provide about 12 weeks of leave, not only for Caregiving of a child but also. As more and more of us become caregivers with our parents and others. The idea that we know that about a quarter of women in this country actually have to be back to work within 10 days of having birth, even increasing the opportunities for family leave not only will help The family also it will reduce child mortality. It should be a national program and it's time that we do that now. [ MUSIC ] I think a number of steps should be taken first we have to guarantee. A quality pre- k program for everyone in this country and that money should be coming from the federal government. We know that 90 % of child's brains developed even before they enter into kindergarten. And if you're not kindergarten ready four times more likely to drop out of high school. If at the end of the day you haven't caught up by third grade. So I think we really do if we're really talking about what we can do for that next generation quality pre- k part of it. But it has to be more than just the four and five because even a quality daycare program can have significant costs. There's existing federal programs that help subsidize those. But that's enough, another area where we should be making greater federal investments. So nobody's choosing between, either having to drop out of the workforce Or have the kids in less enriching program. [ MUSIC ] We should actually pass there be a Paycheck Fairness Act. So at the end of the day, if Someone's trying to find out what other people at the workplace are getting paid, they won't be punished. One of the things that I did in Montana was actually highlighted all the companies who would take an equal pay pledge. That would actually sign up for notions of transparency, doing the pay audit. Ensuring that we're making a more equitable workplace. So the leadership can come both from the government, but also from the private sectors because there are a lot of companies that are doing good work. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] I don't think everywhere from Congress to fortune 500 companies have done enough to address sexual harassment in the workplace. But what we've seen over the last handful of years is. As the courageous women have stood up and said no one should have to expect harassment in the workplace. It's really changed our overall national conversation about this and the national dialogue. I think the law should always work and that as president would certainly work at the federal level, both to protect women in the federal workplace also strengthen work Whistleblower laws. But it is something that while it's always been against the law, at least for the number of decades, it's a cultural awareness. I think it's really changed things along the way. And that's we have to actually encourage and applaud, never be tearing it down. [ SOUND ] You've seen California is an example of it requires at least one woman, one female to be on a board of directors for public companies. And I think that At the end of the day, we should be doing both, like the California model is significant because, mind you, it's only one but it's at least an assurance of one voice. But again, also, I don't think we can legislate all of this through. So also holding up those examples where boards of directors and senior management often reflect the diversity of the workforce. Forces. [ MUSIC ] The overall vision of my campaign has been a fair shot for all Americans meaning that there's this notion of the American dream. That everyone should be able to attain. And we have to recognize that for far too many people, that dream no longer exists. We can't turn around and say no matter how hard you work, there's going to be barriers along the way, institutional, like financial disparities, but even more than an institutional sort of the oppressiveness of harassment. So when I look at what I hope that everybody in this country could really have, that fair shot at a better life, if we're not addressing these issues, they never will.

The former 2020 presidential candidate joins Fortune and Time's Up for a digital forum on gender equity and working families.

Gov. Steve Bullock on issues that matter to working women

Politics

The former 2020 presidential candidate weighs in. 