Sen. Clinton's Campaign Journey Sparks New Women's Movement, Boston Globe Reports

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Abortion
Article Date: 29 Aug 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention "brought into sharp relief the passion for women's issues her campaign engendered -- and the possibility of a legacy that could re-energize or divide the feminist movement" -- the Boston Globe reports. According to the Globe, it is not clear whether a new movement would benefit the organizations that have long been at the forefront of women's issues, such as EMILY's List and NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Such groups now are calling for unity, saying that some of the most important women's issues, especially abortion rights, are at stake in the November election and that Clinton supporters should stand up for them, the Globe reports. Many Clinton supporters, however, still are angry with Democratic leaders and women's groups, saying they "did little to confront rampant sexism and allowed an unfair primary process," according to the Globe. Consequently, some groups are divided over supporting Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) or Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) -- "a troubling turn for the Democratic Party and for the feminist establishment, whose credibility depends on keeping Clinton supporters in the fold," according to the Globe.

Amy Siskind -- who helped start The New Agenda, a nonpartisan group focused on women's issues and electing female candidates -- said that the group believes in abortion rights but does not make them a platform issue. "We believe that once women in this country have power in government and the workplace and money, things like abortion will not even be on the table for discussion," Siskind said.

Gloria Allred, a women's rights lawyer from Los Angeles and a Clinton delegate, said women who supported Clinton should vote for Obama at the very least because of abortion rights. Obama supports abortion rights, and McCain favors overturning Roe v. Wade and working to eventually outlaw abortions.

"We have to educate these women who are disappointed Hillary didn't win," Allred said, adding, "We have to help them to understand what's at stake. We can't have McCain appointing two Supreme Court vacancies" (Wangsness, Boston Globe, 8/27).

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