Despite the fact that Hillary Clinton is running on a platform of being the first female presidential candidate of a major party, Donald Trump has not lost the women’s vote.
The Independent Women’s Forum published “Working for Women: A Modern Agenda for Improving Women’s Lives,” a report that details policy reforms that conservatives could push to benefit women without allowing the government to grow.
Trump, who has been accused of sexism throughout his campaign, could benefit from focusing on reforming policies that would help women, specifically millennial women entering the workforce.
IWF suggests that Trump focus on breaking down barriers to job creation and explore new ways to make it easier for women to enter new professions or start their own businesses. Millennials fresh out of college are usually buried in debt and desperate for work. IWF believes that the GOP could influence many young people by focusing on job creation.
Tax relief for young parents could also be a substantial selling point. Hillary Clinton has discussed boosting federal spending on child care and paid leave benefits, but Trump could take it one step further. According to IWF, Democrats are aware that young women are concerned about issues such as leave benefits and tax reliefs when they become mothers. However, oftentimes these government plans end up backfiring. Trump needs to focus on ironing out those benefits to prevent the backfire.
IWF also suggests that the GOP focus on championing the Personal Care Act, “where people can save pre-tax dollars that can be used to replace income during time off eligible under the Family and Medical Leave Act.” Having flexible work hours and reforming the Fair Labor Standards Act, granting workers the ability to choose more time off rather than overtime pay, are also valuable points that Trump should be discussing.
IWF believes that Trump can capitalize on his platform as the Republican presidential candidate and that speaking to specific economic and labor policies could gain Trump more favor among young women.