President Barack Obama needs women this fall, and on Thursday he made the case that they need him, too.

Addressing students, mothers, teachers and workers at a community college here, Obama began a months-long focus on women’s issues ahead of the fall midterm elections, emphasizing how his administration’s proposals — including raising the minimum wage and strengthening equal-pay laws — would help women.

“Soon, for the first time, America’s highly educated workforce will be made up of more women than men,” he said. “But the thing is, our economy hasn’t caught up to that reality yet. So we’ve got too many women who work hard to support themselves and their families . . . [while] facing unfair choices or outdated workplace policies that are holding them back.”

Obama and his advisers described the focus on women as a response to challenges in the real economy, but the politics of the effort were also abundantly clear. Democrats are focusing on bread-and-butter issues such as the minimum wage and equal pay for women to draw a contrast with Republicans. It is critical for Democrats — who face a daunting electoral map — to maximize turnout at the polls among women, who have traditionally given the party an edge. In 2006, 2008 and 2012, Democrats beat Republicans among women by nine to 13 percentage points. But losing that advantage can be catastrophic: Democrats were walloped in the 2010 midterm cycle, when Republicans edged out a one percentage point win among women.

This year, Democrats continue to hold the lead among women by 50 percent to 42 percent, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in early March. Although more women than men vote in presidential elections, however, the gap narrows significantly during midterms. Jennifer Palmieri, White House communications director, said the president’s focus reflects the fact that more women are the primary breadwinners in their families, meaning, “When they are held back, it hurts all.”

But Republicans were using Obama’s focus on women to highlight what they say are failures of his tenure. Referring to his signature health care law, Kirsten Kukowski, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said women have “faced higher levels of poverty and lower incomes as Obamacare continues to hold back economic growth.” Obama’s remarks here Thursday ranged from substantive arguments in favor of his policies to a personal reflection on the role of women in his life. He endorsed an upcoming Senate vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, twice-rejected legislation that would take several steps to help women in the workplace, such as allowing employees to share salary information more freely and requiring big companies that pay women less than men to explain why.

Obama said. “On average, women are still earning just 77 cents on every dollar that a man does.” The president also called for workplace policies that support paid leave for new mothers. He did not mention specific proposals but he has previously supported the Healthy Families Act — which would require companies to offer paid sick leave — and his budget includes a program to start pilot leave programs. In coming months, the White House will hold roundtables in cities nationwide promoting the role of women in the economy. The efforts will culminate in a June 23 working families summit at the White House.