President Obama said today that women are essential to a strong economy, and he pledged to forge "a widening circle of opportunity for women" that includes pay equity and health care.

"Opportunity and equality don't come without a fight," Obama said at a White House forum on women and the economy. "And sometimes you've got to keep fighting even after you've won some victories."

Citing health care ("it's been in the news lately"), Obama said his law will give women "more power" to make their own choices -- assuming the Supreme Court doesn't strike it down this summer, or the Republicans don't repeal it after the November elections.

"Later this year, women will receive new access to recommended preventive care, like domestic violence screening, and contraception at no additional cost," Obama said.

The contraception item has played a role in the current presidential campaign. The forum comes as Obama and the Democrats enjoy a huge advantage with female voters in pre-election opinion polls.

Obama made some political references during today's forum:

When people talk about repealing health care reform, they're not just saying we should stop protecting women with pre-existing conditions. They're also saying we should kick about a million young women off their parents' health care plans. When people say we should get rid of Planned Parenthood, they're not just talking about restricting a woman's ability to make her own health decision. They're talking about denying, as a practical matter, the preventive care like mammograms that millions of women rely on.

Republicans say Planned Parenthood should lose federal funding because of its support for abortion rights.

And GOP members such as Mitt Romney say that Obama's policies -- including the expensive health care law -- are slowing economic recovery for all Americans, women and men.

The father of two daughters said that "women are over half this country and its workforce, not to mention 80% of my household if you count my mother-in-law ... and I always count my mother-in-law."

The president also said: "Just 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Fewer than 20% of the seats in Congress are occupied by women -- is it possible that Congress will get more done if there were more women in Congress?"

Obama pledged legislation to close the "pay gap" between men and women.

"Right now, women are a growing number of breadwinners in the household, but they're still earning just 77 cents for every dollar a man does," he said. "Even less if you're an African-American or Latina woman."

"Women are not some monolithic bloc," Obama told the forum. "Women are not an interest group. You shouldn't be treated that way."