Women and Politics

By WCF Fellow, Trish Calvarese

After being held captive and repeatedly raped for 18 years, a young girl bore two children from the man who kidnapped her. After being strangled to death and discarded in a dumpster by her husband, the body of another woman was so mutilated  that she could be identified only by breast implant. These gruesome headlines give a tragic face to the fact that violence against women in the United States has recently increased.

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime
• There are more female victims of violence in the Untied States than there are casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
• The proportion of women experiencing physical or sexual assault is higher than the proportion of women serving in elected office.
• 1.3 million women are raped or assaulted in the United States every year, yet there are only 75 female Representatives, and only 17 female Senators currently serving in Congress.
• One in four women are raped or assaulted every year, yet only three women have ever served on the Untied States Supreme Court.

I dare say that there is a relationship between these sorry statistics. I dare say that the lack of women in office is a threat to our national security, and only if we achieve equality in our political systems will we end such terrorism and violence against women.

The image of the powerful female is, unfortunately, not as sanctified, not as habituated, not as glorified as the figuration of violence against women.

How do we counter the fact that video games like Grand Theft Auto reward the virtual raping and beating of women—systematically teaching an entire generation of males to disrespect their female peers? We need women in positions of authority, openly and earnestly in power, to change the face of women’s role in our society.

The proof is in the policy:

• DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s 2009 revised budget proposes a cut that would have a devastating impact on victims of domestic violence—which is about one-fourth of women in the District.
• California Governor Schwarzenegger this summer completely cut state funding for all domestic violence programs. Ninety-four shelters will be affected, and the cut may lead to domestic violence victims being turned away at the door.

On the other hand, Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, successfully championed 225 million in stimulus money to be spent on programs that deal with violence against women.

The simple fact is that women are more likely to champion efforts to reduce violence against women. If we want to see real change in issues such as domestic violence, reproductive health, and fair pay, we need more women at the political table.

Help us get started - Ask a woman you know to run today.

Finally, our president is pro-woman and pro-choice. Moreover, he actually cares about helping people. After eight long years of the Bush administration’s anti-woman, anti-choice policies, I find myself feeling surprised when Obama takes a stand for women. After reminding myself that, yes, we now have a progressive president, I can’t help but smile and bask in the feeling of pride and optimism.

One of the most recent acts of the administration that filled me with hope was Obama declaring April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. According to The Women on the Web:

Calling sexual assault “pervasive” in the United States — 18 percent of women reported being raped at some point in their lifetime — Obama stressed that such attacks not only take their toll on the victims, but the family, friends and others, as well.

Given the current focus on the failing economy, I think Obama’s willingness to go to bat on this issue really speaks volumes about his dedication to women’s issues.

Another move that evoked pride was the Obama administration launching the Act Against Aids campaign. Partnered with the CDC and HHS, the White House will bring attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic over the next five years. Not to mention:

To help achieve widespread use of the campaign messages within African-American communities, the Obama Administration also announced today the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), a partnership with 14 of the nation’s leading African-American civic organizations to integrate HIV prevention into each organization’s outreach programs.

So, let me get this straight - our president is actually concerned with taking concrete steps to address national and worldwide equality and health issues? Pinch me.