My Turn: Clinton understands need for true equality
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http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/18218076-95/my-turn-clinton-understands-need-for-true-equality
My Turn: Clinton understands need for true equality
By TERIE NORELLI
For the Monitor
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
(Published in print: Tuesday, August 18, 2015)
On Aug. 18, we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
On this anniversary, I believe it is important to celebrate how far we have come as a nation and to acknowledge the work still left to do. Hillary Clinton’s history of protecting and empowering women, her commitment to voting rights for all Americans and her candidacy are shining examples.
Fewer than 100 years ago, women did not have the right even to cast a ballot for the person (read: man) who would represent them. Today, Hillary Clinton is running for the highest office in the land; a woman who has spent her career fighting for women and children when she could have been cashing in at a corporate law firm. And she is making women’s rights – whether it be the right to make our own health care decisions, the right to equal pay, or the right to love who we want, free of discrimination – a priority. Hillary Clinton understands that when we lift women, we lift their families, and we lift entire communities.
Her record clearly demonstrates that she has acted on that belief as a champion for fundamental rights and equality for women, not only in the United States, but around the world. For example, as secretary of state, she fought for women’s equal participation in politics, worked to empower girls and women around the world, and led efforts to combat gender-based violence and discrimination. And as many policy makers across the country are redoubling their efforts to create barriers to voting, Hillary has made voting rights a key issue in this election. She believes that all of our citizens should have an equal voice in our democracy and has already called for universal, automatic voter registration when every American reaches age 18. She also advocates there be at least 20 days of early, in-person voting. ............
(Terie Norelli is former speaker of the New Hampshire House.)
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