Just how much do you know about how our current political and economic system is treating women?

Surprisingly, the women’s rights movement is something many of our politically and civically engaged citizens aren’t well-versed on. Women made such huge gains in the last half century in America, it’s easy to think it was enough. But the oppression of an entire gender is a huge and complex problem, and often a subtle one, masked by both our biases and often, competing concerns. This movement calls for equality for half of the planet’s entire population, and it deserves just as much attention as hot-button political topics making headlines today, like gun rights or the economy.

So just what are the major topics in the women’s rights movement? Here’s a quick guide to the most important issues facing the women’s rights movement today:

Access to Abortion and Contraceptive Care
Many feminists purport that equal access to abortion care is necessary in a society in which many women are not economically able to care for their children after giving birth, along with a slew of other reasons that can be summed up as personal bodily autonomy and choice. But access to abortion care continues to be a hot topic in public policy, with many representatives still opposed to affordable access to abortion and contraceptive care.

Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion care legal in all 50 states, celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. But a slew of legislation flooding state legislatures puts abortion care and contraceptives under fire in many states. Some want to require women to undergo federally mandated vaginal probes, others want to force women to undergo waiting periods before accessing abortion care. Others are trying to declare that fertilized eggs are children, or make it impossible for abortion clinics to operate.

Equal Pay and Low Wage-Work
White women in the U.S. currently make 77 cents to a man’s dollar, according to the AAUW. And for women of color, the wage gap is even worse–Hispanic and Latina women earned only 61 percent of white men’s earnings in 2011. A five percent difference in earnings for men and women exists even when we account for things like college major, occupation, industry, sector, hours worked, workplace flexibility, experience, educational attainment, enrollment status, GPA, institution selectivity, age, race/ethnicity, region, marital status, and number of children. Many feminists are working with labor activists to bring attention to how our economic system treats women.

During President Obama’s fourth State of the Union address this month, he called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour, a move that many feminists praised as good for women working in retail jobs and other low-wage work. Obama also urged Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a piece of legislation that was shut down by Congress last June. The act would require employers to prove that differences in wages among workers are unrelated to gender, and would prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who discuss salary information.

Violence Against Women
During his State of the Union address, Obama also called on Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act, which has helped women since its inception in 1994. The act created the National Domestic Violence Hotline, made stalking illegal, and helped to drive down partner homicides. The Violence Against Women Act expired during the last Congress, and the bill died in 2012 after Republican opposition to provisions added for Native American, undocumented women, and LGBT victims of violence. Finally, the Senate passed the measure in mid-February, with no help from 22 Republican male senators.

Many feminists are also now organizing across the world to end gender-based street harassment. Street harassment is any action or comment between strangers in public places that is disrespectful, unwelcome, or threatening and is motivated by gender. Women across the world–of all races, sexualities, and classes–report enduring street harassment, often on a daily basis, and it often escalates to rape or other gender-based violent crimes. Organizations like Hollaback! have sprung up to raise awareness and fight back.

These are just a few issues facing the women’s rights movement today. Not mentioned here are issues like media portrayal of women, federally mandated maternal and paternal leave, LGBT and race issues, and other issues many feminists are focusing on today. The problems are complex, but one thing’s for certain: the women’s rights movement needs more voices to be successful. On PeopleCount.org, citizens can address issues of public concern facing the women’s rights movement today, and speak out on legislation and issues that are important to them.

(Photo courtesy keithreed01, Flickr)