Obama and Women's Rights

So, I may be a little blog crazy today, but I just couldn't pass up posting this article I came across. Many of you know that I am interested in many facets of feminism and my activism goes far beyond women in music. Therefore I felt it necessary to add special information like the article I'm going to share, to this blog. I'm also a huge supporter of Barak Obama.
(Thanks Lucid Nation for posting this on myspace)

Ms. magazine recently created a special inaugrual issue, and Obama is on the cover. The article goes as follows:

Is Obama What a Feminist Looks Like?
By Eleanor Smeal, Huffington PostPosted on January 20, 2009,
Printed on January 21, 2009 http://www.%20alternet.%20org/story/121026/

It's not every day Ms. puts a man on its cover. In choosing the cover for this special Inaugural issue, Ms. wanted to capture both the national and feminist mood of high expectations and hope as the 44th President of the United States takes the oath of office.

Expectations have only grown since the election, with President-Elect Obama now enjoying over 80 percent of the public's support. Most people wish him well, and indeed hope he does "save" us from economic disasters, unending war and occupation, global warming, the decline in our international reputation, and relentless attacks on women's rights, civil rights, human rights, science, privacy...the list goes on.

When the chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation board, Peg Yorkin, and I met Barack Obama, he immediately offered "I am a feminist." And better yet, he ran on the strongest platform for women's rights of any major party in American history.

Feminist Karen Kornbluh, the platform's principle author, ensured women's rights, opportunities, advancement, and issues were addressed throughout the historic document· Never has it been easy fighting for equality and social justice. The politics of Washington, our nation, and our world are tough. We have spent far too many years fighting to hold the ground we had already gained. Now is the time to move forward. We are in one of those rare transformational times in history.

But we are not giving President-Elect Obama a blank check. For our hopes to be achieved, we must speak out and organize, organize, organize to enable our new president's team to achieve our common goals. Ultimately, we must hold our leaders' feet to the fire or, to put it more positively, uplift them when they are caught in the crosscurrents of competing interests.

Now is our time to think big. We cannot settle for less...too many women's lives, too many people's lives, depend on it.In this spirit, the Editors of Ms. magazine asked our readers, feminist leaders, experts, and activists to share their visions of what must be done to move forward at this extraordinary time. In the current issue of Ms., read their visions for change and add yours.

Eleanor Smeal is president of the Feminist Majority Foundation and publisher of Ms. magazine.
© 2009 Huffington Post All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/121026/

There has been a lot of speculation and criticism around the decision by Ms. magazine to put a man on the cover of their issue. I'm going to include the comment I posted on WAKE-UP-GRRL on this issue.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=rV1aDK0SuFI

The comment is a half response to the above video and www.wake-up-grrl.blogspot.com. (Sorry I haven't figured out how to put videos on this thing haha).

The problem with feminism is that there is a lack of collectivity amongst eachother. I understand the point radical feminists are making, it took a long time for women to gain a voice of their own. Let's keep in mind, no one can understand what a woman needs, than a woman. Feminism means equality for women and/or minorities, if it only meant equality in general well than a word like feminism wouldn't need to exist. To say "The fact that feminism is being represented by a MAN in this photo reinforces the progression of feminism. Isn't that what we want? Don't we want our rights to be viewed as equal by all?", is something I don't really agree with, to say feminism being represented by a Man is not a progression at all but just feeding the accusations that feminism was bound to fail because soon MEN would take control of it.That being said I completely agree with the cover, yes men can be feminist but I feel the reason Obama was an easy candidate for the cover is because Obama is a minority and this election being a complete historical moment and a huge progression in American society. In my opinion, it was important for Ms. to recognize the triumph of a minority to represent America. Perhaps this is a sign that the time for women is coming near.But your opinions are just as valid as mine. I think feminists spend so much time fighting eachother that we forget the ultimate goal.

Sonia