Hillary sworn in as Sec of State - ready for women and children to be central to foreign policy

[Captain_Nemo]

I have to say I am honored that this fine feminist is our Sec. of State (I would have rather have had her forward vision on women and children in the Oval Office, but maybe another time).

Anyway, this statement of hers is inspiring to me. I have been watching the men pass through our government all of my life and these words are a blast of fresh air to me.
Just shows me that we must increase women's numbers in government.

For the record:
Senate - we are 17% female
House - We are 17% female
Governors - we are 20% female
Executive Branch - 0% female
and of course, one woman on the Supreme Court.

I hope she inspires more women to run for office:

"I want to pledge to you that as Secretary of State, I view these issues as central to our foreign policy. Not as adjunct or auxiliary, or in any way lesser than all of the other issues we have to confront. I too have followed the stories that are exemplified by the pictures that you held up. I mean, it is heartbreaking beyond words that, you know, young girls are attacked on their way to school by Taliban sympathizers and members who do not want young women to be educated. It’s not complicated! They want to maintain an attitude that keeps women — as I said in my testimony — unhealthy, unfed, uneducated and this is something that results all too often in violence against these young women, both within their families and from the outside.

This is not culture. This is not custom. This is criminal. And it will be my hope to persuade more government — as I have attempted to do since I spoke at Beijing on these issues, you know, 13 and some years ago — that we cannot have a free, prosperous, peaceful, progressive world if women are treated in such a discriminatory and violent way. I’ve also read closely Nick Kristof’s articles, in the last months and especially the last weeks, the young women that he has both rescued from prostitution, and met, who have been enslaved and abused, tortured in every way– physically, emotionally, morally– and I take very seriously the function of the State department to lead our government through the Office on Human Trafficking, to do all that we can to end this modern form of slavery. We have sex slavery, we have wage slavery, and it is primarily a slavery of girls and women. So I look also forward, Senator, to reviewing your legislation and working with you as a continuing partnership on behalf of these issues we care so much about.

So we’re going to have a very active office on trafficking, we’re going to be speaking out consistently and strongly against discrimination and oppression of women, and slavery in particular. Because I think that is not only in keeping with American values, as we all recognize, but American national security interests as well."

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

1. Hillary is so fierce.

[Liquorice]

2. I know Hillary Clinton will do all that she possibly can do

for girls and women in these horrible situations. I can't think of a better advocate. Sadly and incredibly, I don't believe that the world's political will is strong enough to completely end this pervasive abuse of girls and women. But Hillary will most certainly be the strongest voice of change women have ever had in this regard, and I am extremely supportive of her agenda.

And I wholeheartedly agree with you that we must increase the number of women in government.

[eridani]

3. As long as they don't live in Gaza or Iraq n/t