Story highlights Andrew Cuomo: Many women are concerned about threat to rights in new political era

Governors, legislatures have duty to protect reproductive rights, close wage gap, he says

Andrew Cuomo is the 56th governor of New York. He is a Democrat. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.

(CNN) Earlier this month, I delivered my State of the State address for 2017. This annual message is an opportunity for the governor to lay out his initiatives, priorities and goals to meet the needs of New Yorkers for the coming year. There is rarely a clear consensus on every initiative. But on the issue of women's rights, almost all New Yorkers agree: Equality for women -- true equality -- shouldn't simply be a goal for 2017. It must be a right.

New York has a history of advancing equal rights, dating back to the birth of the women's rights movement in Seneca Falls in 1848. Today, we honor the sacrifice of these women by vowing to make New York a national model of equality for women.

Andrew Cuomo

We are entering a new political era in which women across the country may feel that their reproductive rights will be threatened, and all states -- not just New York -- will have an opportunity to take the lead in improving the status of women through their respective legislatures.

As we are doing in New York, governors and state legislatures now have the opportunity and the duty, through executive orders and legislation, to protect reproductive rights, close the wage gap and combat sexual violence.

Thousands of women are gathered to march in New York, Washington, Chicago and elsewhere; state legislatures can act knowing they have the support of their female constituents who are demanding equality now.

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