Several female Members addressed the Democratic convention Wednesday evening, emphasizing the importance of women’s issues in this fall’s election.

“Women cannot afford more of the same falling wages and income,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) noted the historical strides women had made from the last convention in Denver in 1908 — when five female delegates were the first women to cast their votes at a national political convention. She also credited women with comprising the majority of the 2008 Democratic delegation.

Each of the participants spoke about a different issue and its impact on women, including the Iraq War, rising gas prices, health care, home foreclosures, education and working wages. Each praised Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for being on the right side of those issues and they railed against presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), saying he was wrong on most women’s issues.

The speakers included: Democratic Reps. Nita Lowey (N.Y.), Hilda Solis (Calif.), Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Kathy Castor (Fla.) and Lois Capps (Calif.).