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Women’s & Gender Studies reacts to NOW’s endorsement of Obama
By Rachael Lundy
The National Organization of Women for Political Action Committee (NOW PAC) has recently endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States.
According to the Greater New Orleans NOW Web site, “The National Organization for Women is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States whose goal is to bring about equality for all women.”
The National Organization of Women focuses on women’s issues such as women’s rights, pay equity, reproductive rights, violence against women and Supreme Court issues that typically lean to the left.
“Women of all ages, races and ethnicities are coming together in support of Senator Obama and his pledge to fulfill this country’s promise of equal opportunity for our daughters as well as our sons,” said NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy on NOW’s Web site.
With Alaska Governor Sarah Palin now being the vice presidential candidate for Senator John McCain on the opposing side, one may question whether or not having a woman in the White House would affect NOW’s endorsement decision.
“There could be a woman in the White House, and the nation’s a-buzz over this rising star,” said Gandy on NOW’s Web site. “So why aren’t I more excited about this? Maybe because being a strong woman doesn’t necessarily make you strong on woman’s rights. Governor Palin is a mother of five who, like many women, balances being a mom and having a full-time job outside of the home. But feminism isn’t just about being a mom or a working woman or both – it’s just about believing every woman deserves an equal opportunity to utilize her strengths and control her destiny – that every woman deserves a level playing field and a fair chance to succeed.”
Michelle Massé, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies for LSU said, “Health, the war in Iraq, the economy, the environment and education, not necessarily in that order,” are issues that are important to her in the midst of this presidential campaign.
“Although women’s placement in the economy may make them particularly alert to certain issues, such as health care, these are all women’s issues,” said Massé. “We are looking at a system in which your wealth is becoming a determinant not just of how you live, but whether you go to war, whether you and your children can get the health care you need to survive, whether you can keep a roof over your head, and whether you can get an education. Because women are still paid less than men for comparable work, the impact of economic and policy inequity has dispropriate impact upon them and upon their children.”
As written on the LSU Women’s and Gender Studies Web site, this major “is an Interdisciplinary Program that examines the multiple roles gender plays in everyday life, the impacts of gender practices on social, cultural, and political behavior and thought, and the intersections of gender, race, sexuality and class. Our courses examine topics such as women in culture and history; gender and race, class, and sexuality; gender in literature, politics, the law, and the sciences.”
Because of the focus this area of study has on women in politics, one may think that having a woman in the White House may appeal to this group as well.
“Feminism is a social and political stance,” said Massé. “Many men are feminists; some women are not. Most WGS representatives will vote for the candidate who best represents equity, foresight and analytic ability.
There are individuals who have spoken of voting for the McCain-Palin ticket strictly for the reason of placing a woman in the White House.
“I keep hearing about these women, but I have yet to meet one,” said Massé. “Having a woman in the White House just because she’s a woman will in no way better the lot of women. In addition, a strategy that assumes women will vote for any woman is extraordinarily condescending because of its implicit suggestion that women don’t analyze issues but instead respond emotionally.”
The presidential campaign is nearing its close and women’s groups all over are going public with their political endorsements attempting to persuade others who, like them, feel that their issues are the most important issues for this presidential election.
Originally Published: Issue 707 - October 1, 2008
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