Bill Richardson promised yesterday to "go further than any other candidate to support women," outlining his plans to expand paid family leave, lobby for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and ensure Supreme Court nominees who protect past decisions like Roe v. Wade.

Richardson, the governor of New Mexico and a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, rolled out his "Women for Richardson" effort at a lunchtime rally in Concord as part of a two-day trip to New Hampshire. Dozens of women - and a handful of men - packed the City Auditorium, where Richardson offered a policy-rich speech that touched on health care, education, foreign policy and economics.

Women, Richardson said, are not a special constituency, but the American political paradigm often casts them as such. Many issues important to women - ending the war in Iraq and improving access to health care and education - are important to his campaign, he said.

"Unfortunately, this country has always thought of women as a special interest and women are the majority," he said to a group of reporters after his speech. "It's important that we address inequities in our country, recognize that they exist . . . the fact that women are not equally paid in this country, the fact that women are not part of the equity of power in America. There should be five women among the Democratic candidates instead of one."

Flanked by local female politicians, Richardson outlined his plans to improve the lives of women and their families. In addition to protecting access to abortion and passing an equal rights amendment, Richardson pledged to expand access to day care, better enforce pay equity and create Social Security credits for the time Americans spend caring for their children or elderly relatives.

"Caregivers deserve more than lip service," he said. "Our retirement system should recognize the value of this work."

Paid family leave should be expanded as well, he said, to include births, adoptions and caring for elderly family members. He applauded his opponent, Sen. Chris Dodd, for sponsoring legislation that would allow workers and employers to share the costs of such leaves.

"It's a good bill," he said. "It's good for business because it will save money in turnover and replacement costs, and it's good for working families, giving them a much-needed benefit for a small, shared cost."

Richardson, who served as ambassador to the United Nations, drew frequent comparisons between domestic violence here and the living conditions of women in impoverished nations.

"American policy-makers don't care about Africa; that's a huge problem," he said. "When you're talking about genocide, you're also talking about rape, about gender-based violence. You're talking about rape as a weapon of war. . . . We need strong policy that send a huge message that says America is not going to stand by."

Money for programs to help women at home and abroad could come from the defense budget, he said. The government, he said, should shut down unnecessary weapons systems and curtail the use of high-paid contractors. Richardson also favors withdrawing all American troops from Iraq by year's end.

"A lot of people ask how are we going to pay for education and programs to help people? But they never ask how are we going to pay for this war?" he said. "My answer is that there is going to have to be a reordering of priorities. We're going to have to shift $450 billion from the war in Iraq to domestic needs."

Most of the women in the audience yesterday made up their minds to support Richardson months ago. They said they like his experience and demeanor, and they think he'd do more to improve their lives than the rest of the field, including Sen. Hillary Clinton.

"From the other candidates, I heard the same thing four years ago, I heard the same thing eight years ago. I want the White House back. I believe Gov. Richardson has the qualifications," said Nancy Johnson, a former state representative from Milton. "I'm not voting for him because he's a male, and I hope people aren't voting for Hillary because she's a female."

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