Today is International Women’s Day and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate it than by recognizing one of the most well known and respected women of our time, Senator Hillary Clinton. I was just going to post Hillary’s statement regarding this important day, but as I started looking at all she’s done on behalf of women over the years I realized that simply posting her statement wouldn’t do justice to her lifetime of dedicated work on many of the issues that I’m passionate about and have worked to promote in my own life.
Now this video was put up by the campaign this time last year in honor of Women’s History Month, but (sadly) much of what she talks about is still true today and we still have a lot of work to do. Take a look...
There’s more...
Now as many of you know, I’ve been posting something on these boards nearly every day since June about why I’m backing Hillary. It all started when someone asked us to convince her to back our candidate – here’s what I had to say...
We've been led for well over 200 years by men and look where it's gotten us. Over 30 years have passed since Roe and we're STILL fighting for our right to choose - hell to even have access to birth control! Children make up a massive percentage of those living in poverty. Our schools are a mess in urban areas. Court rulings regarding child support and protection orders are virtually ignored, girls are literally starving themselves to death to achieve some ideal image as portrayed in our MSM, domestic violence isn't taken seriously by our courts or even the cops... the list goes on and on and ON when it comes to the lack of respect for the rights of women & our children in this society.
I went on to explain why I think Hillary’s run for the presidency will create enough change in our society to where people will begin to take all of these problems seriously and (FINALLY) do something to address our needs and concerns. I’ve learned a great deal about Hillary’s record and her plans since then and I’m even more convinced that she’s the woman we need in the White House now.
I’m sure you’ve all heard about Hillary’s speech at the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women back in 1995. I remember that speech and it’s stayed with me to this day. Here’s the money quote...
If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely -- and the right to be heard.
(Click here for full text and an mp3 of the speech)
Out of the work done and the contacts made at that conference, Hillary, Secretary of State Madeline Albright were instrumental in setting up Vital Voices Global Partnership. Here’s a bit about the work that this amazing non-profit is doing...
Vital Voices Global Partnership is the preeminent non-governmental organization (NGO) that identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all. We provide these women with the capacity, connections, and credibility they need to unlock their leadership potential.
We are at the forefront of international coalitions to combat human trafficking, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and all forms of violence against women and girls.
We enable women to become change agents in their governments, advocates for social justice, and supporters of democracy and the rule of law.
We equip women with management, business development, marketing, and communications skills to expand their enterprises, help to provide for their families, and create jobs in their communities.
Our international staff and team of over 1,000 partners, pro bono experts and leaders, including senior government, corporate and NGO executives, have trained and mentored more than 5,000 emerging women leaders from over 150 countries in Asia, Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East since 1997. These women have returned home to train and mentor more than 100,000 additional women and girls in their communities. They are the Vital Voices of our time.
Now Vital Voices has up a lot of information about what today means around the world. Here’s a bit of history about International Women’s Day...
International Women’s Day is dedicated to the celebration of women’s social, economic and political achievements worldwide. In the United States, this official day of observance is rooted in women’s efforts to campaign for rights to work, vote and hold public office, culminating on March 8, 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights and an end to child labor. In the early 1910s, the concept gained recognition in the international community and grew momentum as women across Europe continued to fight for the right to work and protest against ensuing world conflict. On February 23, 1917, a landmark strike spearheaded by Russian women protesting World War I, resulted in Russian women’s suffrage. On the Gregorian calendar, this date translates to March 8th, the modern day of observance for International women’s day.
Since the 1910s, International Women's Day has been widely accepted on a global scale, in both developed and developing countries alike. Today, International Women’s Day marks an occasion for celebration as well as critical reflection on the world’s progress towards achieving gender equity. In an effort to monitor the global status of women and strategize for future progress, the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Commission on the Status of Women meets annually around International Women’s Day for a 10 day working-session. This year will mark the Commission’s fifty-second session, taking place February 25-March 7, 2008. The major themes of the 2008 session will be: financing for gender equality and empowerment of women. Other focal topics will include: gender perspectives on climate change and women’s participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution.
Hillary’s done more for the women of this world than most people can possibly imagine, and the promise that having her in the Oval Office holds for us is (in my opinion) beyond measure. Here’s what she had to say in marking this important day...
International Women's Day is an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate the accomplishments and progress of women around the world. Women continue to make gains on many continents and in many areas of life. But while we rejoice in these advances, we must not forget that women are still denied their rights in too many places, and are too often relegated to the margins of society. On this important day, we must all renew our commitment to meet the global challenges that disproportionately affect women and girls and undermine the progress and prosperity of our human family.
This year's theme for International Women's Day is 'Investing in Women and Girls,' and I am proudly adding my voice to the calls for increased investment in programs that impact women and girls worldwide. I believe we need a significant increase in the budget for development assistance and for programs to reduce global poverty.
Having worked on women's issues internationally and traveled to more than 80 countries during the past 15 years, I continue to believe that poverty, illiteracy, inadequate health care, violence in and out of the home, and political and economic marginalization are among the biggest obstacles to improving the lives of women and girls. Attacking these problems at the grass roots is essential to our efforts to seed democracy and win the hearts and minds of people around the world.
We also must address the global health challenges that have a disproportionate impact on women and threaten our own security and the stability of fragile regions of the world. I became well aware during my tenure as First Lady of the ravages of health crises on the African continent such as HIV/AIDS, and I support providing $50 billion to provide universal access to treatment, prevention, and care for HIV/AIDS, fight tuberculosis and reduce and eradicate malaria. I believe we have an historic opportunity to end more than a million needless deaths from malaria in the next several years in we make these investments today. It is also essential that we again provide support to organizations like the United Nations Population Fund that provide critically needed health services for women.
I'm also extremely proud to have introduced the bipartisan Education for All Act of 2007, along with Senator Gordon Smith and Representatives Spencer Bachus and Nita Lowey. One of the wisest investments we can make is in the education of young people, especially girls who are so frequently denied the chance to go to school and grow up to participate fully in their societies. A quality education not only helps alleviate poverty and raise living standards, it can dramatically reduce infant and maternal mortality and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The bipartisan Education for All Act will gradually increase funding to $3 billion a year by 2012 so that the United States is meeting its responsibility to make sure that every child – including those affected by conflict, disability or child labor – has a chance to learn and grow. There is no better way to honor International Women's Day than for all of us to expand our commitment to the education of girls, especially in the poorest corners of the world.
When I attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women more than a decade ago, I noted that 'every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential.' But in order for her to do that, she must be given equal access to programs that can help lift her out of poverty, go to school, and remain healthy for herself and her family. I look forward to working over the next year to ensure that we are making the investments necessary to help women achieve their potential not only as individuals, but as essential participants in our global community.
For more information on Hillary’s work on behalf of women, see these links...
Hillary’s Issues Page at Campaign Website
Agenda For Reproductive Health Care
Giving Every Child a Chance Plan to Reduce Child Poverty
Speeches
WOMEN'S RIGHTS: Mary Louise Smith Lecture at the Catt Center for Women and Politics
Helping Parents Balance Work & Family
WOMEN'S RIGHTS: National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association Luncheon
Helping Parents Balance Work & Family
I’ll close this one by posting a bit more from that first pro-Hillary post of mine...
The more I look at her record and her position on the issues, the more convinced I am that it's time we elected this woman as president. Maybe then people will take us seriously - as workers, as providers for our families, and as human beings who deserve the same respect given to the men in our land.
She's smart. She's got a proven track record when it comes to working for the rights of women & children, and she's got a head-start on a lot of the other candidates when it comes to rebuilding our f#cked-up reputation with other world leaders.
Put a woman with her brains and background in the White House - let her show the rest of the world what a WOMAN can do if she gets the chance - and maybe things will (finally!) start to change for us here at home.
The more I ponder this question, the more convinced I am that electing a woman for the first time in over 200 years... the mere fact that a woman is running the most powerful nation in this world will show everyone what we’re capable of.
I like Clinton – I really do.
She’s smart.
She’s driven.
She’s built a network of supporters and staff who seem to know what they’re doing.
She’s got a proven record when it comes to defending the rights of women & children.
She’s got what it takes to put together a strong cabinet, put together a budget, and work with people on both sides of the aisle.
All that’s a bonus to what I think she’ll do for how women & kids are treated in this world.
Send the world a message that we’re to be taken seriously.
That we deserve respect.
That we won’t tolerate being treated as second-class citizens of this or any other land.
This is a first folks – we have no way of knowing what if any effect her victory will have but dammit – I think it’s time we gave it a shot.
I also like the message her candidacy will send to my young daughter. To think that her first presidential election (at least one that she’ll remember) will include a woman of substance and experience. A woman with a chance to actually win the White House.
She’ll grow up understanding that the sky’s the limit and she can achieve her goals – whatever they might be.
So here’s to the women of the world – and to the people who’ve worked so hard to make this world a better place for women and girls over the years.
Here’s to you Hillary!
U P D A T E
Hat tip to Harvey Milk for posting the following comment...
Among other things:
She led the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay. Hillary was twice named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America.
When her husband was elected President in 1992, Hillary's work as a champion for women was recognized and admired around the world. She traveled the globe speaking out against the degradation and abuse of women and standing up for the powerful idea that women's rights are human rights.
In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, to increase funding for breast cancer research
Hillary has been a powerful advocate for women in the Senate. Her commitment to supporting the rights guaranteed in Roe v. Wade and to reducing the number of abortions by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies was hailed by the New York Times as "frank talk...(and) a promising path." Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning. Her fight with the Bush Administration ensured that Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, will be available to millions of American women and will reduce the need for abortions.
What's Obama done?