There were many good questions directed to both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton at the New Hampshire Town Forum on Wednesday. One of the most interesting was directed to Hillary Clinton by Julie Carnigan. She said, "I'm the proud mother of five girls, two of my own, three step-daughters. And unfortunately they are all 'feeling the Bern'. I would like to know what you would do to convince them to vote for you."
Hillary thought a moment then said, "First of all, tell them I'm glad they're interested in politics, and I really mean that. I want them to be involved. I want them to feel like I felt when I was that age, some years ago, and getting excited and interested in politics for the first time."
She went on to suggest they take a look at her record "starting as a young lawyer working for the Children's Defense Fund, taking on the problem of juveniles incarcerated with adults in South Carolina, trying to gather information to end segregated academies in the south." She added "I want them to know that I was a legal services lawyer, standing up for equality under the law, defending people's rights because I believe passionately that those of us who have the opportunity to serve should serve."
But the last thing Hillary said may be what those young women and others should focus on. "The final thing I would say is, it is still the case that there are challenges and obstacles to young women's ambitions. I'm going to try to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling. I hope it splinters completely and, and I hope for your daughters it opens doors that might not be open right now, regardless of whether any of them ever do anything politically. But in their lives, their profession, how they're treated. I hope it does give them more of a sense of empowerment. That's what I want for my daughter and my amazing granddaughter, and that's what I want for your daughters."
Those young women need to understand though they might be living well today they and other women are still being held back in so many ways. Today the number of women leading Fortune 500 companies is at an all-time high 5%. According to Forbes there are still few women on its list of wealthiest Americans. "There may be no higher glass ceiling than the Forbes 400 where only 13% are women. The vast majority inherited their wealth -- and five of the 51 female billionaires share their ten-digit fortunes with their husbands."
Let's consider the vast numbers of women not inheriting fortunes and not being married to wealthy men. Those women go out every day and earn a living to support themselves and their families. They are maids, waitresses, nurses, teachers, lawyers, doctors even CEOs of fortune 500 companies yet all face some insurmountable obstacles. Today they are still paid only 78% of what men doing the same jobs are paid. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) if we continue on the path we are on today it won't be till 2059 women receive equal pay for equal work. That is 43 years from now when Julie Carnigan's daughters will all be ready to retire. If that is the case and nothing changes they will receive less social security then the men they worked with, and less of other benefits. If they take the same percentage of their pay each year as the men do and put it in a 401k they will have thousands less when they retire.
These facts alone should make them take another look at Hillary. Consider why it would actually make a difference if we have a woman President. Whether you love Hillary or not, no one has questioned her brilliance. President Obama recently said, "Her strengths, which are the fact that she's extraordinarily experienced and, you know, 'wicked smart' and knows every policy inside and out, means she would be capable of governing the country on day one. I've gotten to know Hillary really well, and she is a good, smart, tough person who cares deeply about this country."
Bernie knows his promises of free college and single-payer healthcare, which he says can only happen if you join his revolution, won't happen. Maybe it's time you voted for your own interests as a woman.
The world still discriminates against women, African Americans, the LGBT community and other minorities. There is a quote Barney Frank (D-MA) shared with the LGBT community, "If you aren't at the table you will be on the menu". That goes for every group who isn't equally represented and women clearly aren't. In 2015 less than 20 percent of the Congress were women. In the Senate out of 100 members only 20 are women and in the House of Representatives out of 435 only 84 or 19.3 percent are women. Out of nine members of the Supreme Court only three are women.
And yet women are the majority in our country and the world. So if young intelligent women don't do anything about this and just expect another old white man will, they are fooling themselves.
It is time for women, and men, who understand how wrong all this inequality is, to stand up and speak out. Together we can break the highest glass ceiling in the world, the American Presidency, and finally work to break glass ceilings for women everywhere.