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# Questions to Ask Candidates About Issues Affecting Women
- URL: https://www.womensrightsdata.org/questions-to-ask-candidates-about-issues-affecting-women/
- Published: 2026-05-26T15:46:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-29T17:41:02.000Z
- Author: WRDI Staff
- Tags: Explainers & Guides, 2026 Elections

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The questions below are designed for town halls, candidate forums, campaign events, debates, local meet-and-greets, and other opportunities where voters may be able to ask candidates directly about issues affecting women. 

The “Listen for” prompts are not endorsements or preferred answers — they simply highlight topics candidates may address in their response.

### Healthcare & Reproductive Policy

1. **What healthcare issues affecting women do you see as the biggest priority right now?**  
***Listen for***:maternal health, abortion access, healthcare affordability, mental health, fertility and family planning, rural healthcare access, preventive care, violence prevention services
2. **What role should the government play in reproductive healthcare and family policy decisions?**  
***Listen for*:** state versus federal authority, personal privacy, physician decision-making, healthcare regulation, religious or moral considerations, contraception access, parental involvement laws, pregnancy and family support policies

### Workplace & Economic Opportunity

1. **What workplace or economic issues affecting women do you see as the biggest priority right now?**  
***Listen for*:** pay equity, childcare affordability, paid leave, workforce participation, caregiving responsibilities, workplace flexibility, economic security, leadership opportunities
2. **What role should government and employers play in supporting women balancing work and caregiving responsibilities?**  
***Listen for*:** paid leave, childcare support, workplace flexibility, employer responsibility, caregiver support programs, public funding, small business concerns, private-sector solutions

### Education & Student Protections

1. **What education issues affecting girls and young women do you see as the biggest priority right now?**  
***Listen for*:** student safety, academic opportunity, Title IX, mental health, bullying and harassment, athletics, parental involvement, curriculum decisions, access to educational resources
2. **How should schools balance student protections, parental rights, and evolving policies involving sex and gender?**  
***Listen for*:** Title IX enforcement, athletics participation, privacy concerns, anti-discrimination protections, school guidance policies, parental notification, student wellbeing, legal compliance

### Voting, Representation & Civic Participation

1. **What role do voting access and political representation play in shaping policies affecting women?**  
***Listen for*:** voting access, district maps, representation, election administration, civic participation, local versus federal decision-making, political influence, community priorities
2. **How should redistricting decisions be handled to ensure communities are fairly represented?**  
***Listen for*:** independent commissions, court oversight, partisan influence, minority representation, transparency, public input, local representation, legal standards

### Safety, Rights & Public Spaces

1. **What policies do you support to improve women’s safety and legal protections in your state or community?**  
***Listen for*:** domestic violence prevention, sexual assault investigations, victim services, prosecution priorities, restraining orders, public safety resources, survivor support programs
2. **How should policymakers approach situations where sex-based protections and gender identity policies may conflict?**  
***Listen for*:** school policies, athletics, privacy and safety concerns, anti-discrimination protections, parental involvement, legal definitions, balancing competing rights and interests

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