ABC News Women's Issues Poll, July 1992

In this survey, female respondents were asked about issues and problems of particular concern to women. Respondents selected the biggest problems facing women from a list covering the areas of health, children, employment, abortion, crime, and marriage. Comments were solicited on whether this country had made most of the changes needed to give women equal rights with men, and whether respondents had a favorable view of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Respondents were asked to look back on their lives and to indicate whether they wished they had placed more or less emphasis on things such as education, preparation for a career or work outside the home, children, husbands or close romantic relationships, and time for themselves. Those surveyed indicated the extent to which they worried about adequate family medical care, obtaining a legal abortion, sexual harassment, breast cancer, and managing both a job and home life. Additional questions asked if the trend toward both parents working outside the home had a positive or negative effect on families, and if respondents agreed with a series of statements ranging from "Many men today are not as committed to marriage as they used to be," to "I sometimes wish that we could go back to the days when most women didn't work outside the home." Background information on respondents includes political alignment, education, age, marital status, employment status, race, household income, parental status, and employment outside the home.