As we're contemplating the state of girls and women, one of the easiest indicators is to look at the representation of women in political office. But as I've traveled around this month, speaking and listening, one of my most deeply felt questions continues to be this: Where are those leaders who lead for women?
This question was brought to life for me as I interviewed Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on stage at the much-publicized Women in the World Summit. Nancy, after all, is a woman who not only possesses the double X chromosomal combination too rare in the halls of power in Washington these days, but leads with a fierce commitment to women's rights to boot.
You see, it's not enough to be a woman leader in my opinion; one must also lead for women. What do I mean? That women have to vote for and advocate for only women's issues? Of course not. But when women's rights are at stake and when women's stories need to be heard, shouldn't we expect women with power to use it to lead efforts to protect rights and to fight for gender justice and equity across all sectors?
I don't need to belabor the point, but gender parity in the U.S. government is pathetic: In the current Congress, only 16% of seats are held by women. The U.S. ranks #69 among countries with the highest percentage of women in government. Countries that have a higher percentage of women include countries such as Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uganda.
But these statistics mask an even more complex reality about the state of women. It's not just about who is in office -- although the sheer power of representation is nice, as argued in Miss Representation. It's also about what people do once they're in office, or in the case of corporate leadership, whom they fight for and how they fight for them in the boardroom.
As the decades of my own advocacy on behalf of women pile up, I'm ever more convinced that women lead differently if given the chance to express our genuine styles, passions, and priorities. Whether it's the head of a multinational bank, weighing what kinds of financial products to offer, at what price points, with what kind of marketing materials, or the Speaker of the House keeping order in one of the least civil places left in America, women are inclined to do it differently.
And we must. After all, you don't get to be part of the club by chromosome alone. You belong based on your actions on behalf of real women's lives.
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Hillary Clinton ideally represents what I think you are referring to. The National Organization of Women calls Hillary a champion of female children and adult causes. When Hillary got out of law school she often worked for free when men of her caliber were making big-bucks. But she also was involved as first lady as a ambassedor of good will overseas but wasn't afraid to tell the Chinese to stop killing their girl-babies. Of course as a NY state senator she was involved with many kinds of issues and of course now as Sec of State. Not all women can have those accomplishments but when at last count women only represented 17 percent of all members of Congress and less than 25 percent of state legislature seats are filled by women. No wonder some men started a war on women...knowing we are outnumbered in DC
It's a shame. As conservatives and liberals are pretty evenly split in America, it appears that strong recognized, American females of power would grow significantly--if only Feminists wouldn't de-limit women along political lines.
www.lauriefreitag.com
One in four on S S are living in poverty......and some just above the poverty line.
So spare me.In the end extremist movements usually end up with extreme laws,dictatorships,mass murders.
The current rate of suicides and death of men due to wars,gang fights,stress,marital disputes,unemployement ,diseases is not reported and conveniently ignored by mainstream media because focusing on men's issues might bring equality they promised.
Quota's for womens education even though women obtain the majority of degree's.
Quota's for womens employment even though more men are unemployed.
More than twice as much is spent on womens health excluding reproduction, even though men die 7 years earlier, die of the top 12 killer disease more often.
80% of homeless and suicides are men and there is literall no help even offered.
Personal, Corporate and State charites of every type is a veritible womens only club.
There is no realm of society politically or privately within the general population where women aren't given the majority, if not virtually all funding of every kind. There is no place in the State, Education system, Media, Privately or Corporately that doesn't pander to womens vote, needs or concerns.
Society should be concerned with who are the vast majority of people at the bottom, not about who gets to reside with the few hundred at the top.
The Republicans are proving that they don’t pander to women, and certainly don't care about our needs or concerns. They’re taking away our rights. And when they take away our rights, they’ll next take away the rights of “the vast majority of people at the bottom.”
We have to band together now so we can all keep our rights.
Apparently the nearly have of women who are pro life don't get a vote on women's issues in your world view. Don't confuse the Democrat political positions for women's political positions. In 2010 the majority of women voted for Republicans so I suppose they pandered to something women wanted.