“Ethical Markets congratulates all the wonderful women leaders who have organized this important event! ~Hazel Henderson, Editor”
The other day my chiropractor shared with me that her mother, who is an executive with a major pharmaceutical company, was told before Christmas that she would receive only 90% of her usual annual bonus (of $150,000. !!)…”because the men needed it more”. There are two things wrong with this………but I would like to just focus on one.
Given the current administration and the absence of a sense of responsibility or obligation – to disclose tax returns, answer Senate confirmation questions, etc. – I fear ‘a trend’ of arrogance to do whatever one wants to do – because of a position of power. This is not acceptable!
Secondly, if any of us – take anything for granted, we may be horribly surprised.
Many of us have worked long and hard to advance equality for all. My ten years in Congress were some of the best years of my life – but also frustrating…..in that, as a small group of women legislators, we had to constantly be vigilant that amendments had not been slipped onto Agriculture or Defense bills at the last minute – that specified what women could and could not do with our bodies! Regardless of your position on abortion, do you really believe that 530 (mostly) men should tell you what to do with your bodies? I believe that eventually, we will meet our Maker and will be answerable at that time.
These same legislators – who call for reducing the role of government and “getting the government off our backs” – want to have government on our backs – legislating morality.
When I served on the Science Committee, I was shocked to learn that only 13% of the Health Research Budget was dedicated to women’s health – 87% for men’s; it was a constituent that alerted me of a terrible gap in the Social Security law – as it related to widows; it was an intern that told me that a Senator had an amendment to eliminate Title 9 (allowing athletic scholarships for women) that would have impacted all of the Civil Rights Act! So please don’t feel secure – or wait until we discover – an inequity. Take action now.
The upcoming March on Washington…and around the country, (Please check for one nearest you http://www.marchoncolorado.org/home/sister-marches ) is not about abortion……..but about WOMEN and equality in general. We have made many strides toward fairness ……..we cannot backslide out of complacency…because when we are shortchanged our husbands and children experience the impact too….as well as all of society. So I urge all of you women, and the men who respect us, to please join in the D.C., or any March near you……..to remind those in positions of power, that we stand together, vigilant, for fair and equal treatment.
And finally, when there is a good woman running for public office – support her every way you can. My experience has been that it is the women in power, that go the extra mile to advance and fight for our equality and protect our rights.
In solidarity, respect and love ,