JANUARY 26, 2016 – The Feminist Majority is proud to announce today its endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States. Hillary has a decades-long record of achievement in advancing both women’s rights and civil rights, and has made fighting for low-income families a priority. She has demonstrated the leadership and vision necessary to move our country forward.
Hillary has worked to close the gender and race pay gap, fought to end race-based segregation in education, and is a champion of reproductive rights. She has supported ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, fought for passage and reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, prioritized women’s rights globally, and successfully used her power in the Senate, along with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), to push for FDA approval of emergency contraception. Hillary supports paid family and medical leave and played a major role in passing the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides 8 million low-income children with access to health care.
“Battle after battle, Hillary has proven that she will not only stand with the feminist community, but that our fight is her fight. As a self-identified feminist, Hillary has been proactive – from reproductive rights to closing the gender/race pay gap, to expanding Social Security, including care credits and fighting privatization of it and Medicare, to expanding Medicaid, to increasing access to healthcare and to promoting women’s equality here and globally. Hillary has repeatedly prioritized these issues,” said Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal. “Hillary has demonstrated her deep commitment to women’s rights and advancement. Through her actions and words, she has inspired women worldwide to take leadership, and countless nations of the world to prioritize women’s and girls’ advancement in the economy, education, and health care.”
“Women and girls, at long last, deserve a feminist woman in the White House whom we can count on to fight for us every day,” said Katherine Spillar, Feminist Majority Executive Director. “Not only can we count on Hillary to defeat efforts to make abortion illegal and family planning inaccessible, but she will lead efforts to make reproductive health services, including abortion, more accessible for low-income women and women of color. She will lead efforts to stop sexual assault in colleges, high schools, and in the military. She will reshape the efforts to gain paid family medical leave without increasing payroll taxes which disproportionately hit low and middle-income workers.”
“Hillary gets things done because she is a strong, trusted leader who never gives up fighting for people, families, and children. In fighting for comprehensive health care reform, she played a major role in securing SCHIP for the children of low-income families. She is a leader who is inclusive – she brings people together – and she will fight for immigration reform and the DREAMers. She has the wisdom and experience to take our country forward,” said Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers, and Feminist Majority board member.
“Hillary Clinton’s vision for the future and her 2016 campaign have prioritized feminist issues like no other presidential campaign in history. She has pledged to end the Hyde Amendment, which prevents low-income women receiving Medicaid from accessing abortion care,” commented Gaylynn Burroughs, Feminist Majority Policy Director. “She supports the Equality Act to add to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protection against discrimination for the LGBT community, as well as ENDA to stop employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She has committed to strengthening efforts to address climate change, create more affordable childcare, and build a more equitable tax code. She has also vowed to fight voter suppression and make it easier, not harder, for people of color, women, and young people to vote.” continued Burroughs.
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