Should a Women's Policy Panel Focus on Women's Policy?

I was excited when I read the title of the below article. I thought, the more women in elected positions we've got working on women's issues, the better for women. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed to read that the group is Republican women working to promote the Republican agenda to try to earn more votes in the fall. It led me to think, are women's issues only part of the Democratic agenda? If the Republicans are seeking defense against attacks that the GOP is engaged in a "war on women" then why aren't they including "women's issues" (given quotes because in my opinion, these aren't just women's issues)-- such as healthcare, education, fair pay, childcare, etc. I could be missing something here. Would love to hear your thoughts!

House GOP launches women’s policy panel in new video

By Alicia M. Cohn - 05/22/12 12:40 PM ET

House Republican women, looking to combat the narrative that the party's policies are bad for women, this week launched a unified effort to promote female GOP voices in Congress.

House Republican women announced the Women’s Policy Committee on Monday “with the goal of raising the profile of GOP women in their roles as lawmakers, highlighting their diverse achievements and providing a unique, unified voice on a wide range of critically important issues,” according to a press release.

The committee also helps to fill a need for a Republican defense against attacks that the GOP is engaged in a “war on women" following a high-profile controversy over the White House's contraception mandate, which the GOP opposed as an attack on religious liberty and Democrats' framed as a women's health issue. The committee, which was launched with the full support of House leadership, could be effective by helping keep female Republicans at the forefront of Republican legislation.

The committee mission statement explains that the group “is organized for the purpose of influencing, advancing, leading, and communicating the Republican agenda in the House of Representatives. The Women’s Policy Committee is dedicated to the principles of job creation, less government, lower taxes, regulatory relief, personal responsibility, individual freedoms and a strong national defense.”  Rep. Mary Bono Mack (Calif.) will serve as committee chairwoman.

“As mothers, grandmothers, daughters, wives and sisters, women often see things in a different context,” she said in a statement. “As Republican women, we have some really unique ideas for moving our nation forward, and we’re excited about working together to find solutions.”

In a new video posted Tuesday, House Republicans “introduced” the 24 women serving in the House. The video’s script has the women declare through a combined effort: “We as Republican women are leading the charge to make America great again.”

“Republican women in Congress are making a real difference,” says Bono Mack in the video.
“While our backgrounds are different, one thing is not,” continues Rep. Kay Granger (Texas).
“We are all conservative reformers,” says Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.).
“We know what it’s like to run a budget, a business and a family,” explains Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.).

Republican men showed their support for the new committee through Twitter on Tuesday. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) urged re-tweeting the new video as a digital “thank you message to our hardworking ‪#GOP‬ women."