Governor Palin and Women's Equality

Today marks Women's Equality Day, as 90 years ago, the 19th amendment was adopted giving women the right to vote (Governor Palin noted the ratification of this amendment last week). Much has been discussed about Governor Palin's role in a new feminist movement or if she's even a feminist at all. Recently, a pro-abortion group, Emily's list, put out a laughable attempt to diminish the power of Governor Palin's mama grizzlies. Governor Palin's mama grizzly brand has drawn a lot of attention to the conservative female candidates whom she has endorsed. This election cycle has proven to be quite a popular cycle for conservative women as 201 Republican women are running for the House, Senate, and statewide offices including 140 for the House and Senate alone, more than twice as many as in 2008. With the celebration of Women's Equality Day and the surge of conservative women running for office, a yahoo news story states (emphasis mine):

Several Women's Equality Day events are planned across the country Thursday.

In California, a great, great, great granddaughter of suffragist leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton will address a rally near the statehouse in Sacramento. In New York, the Susan B. Anthony List — it backs female candidates opposed to abortion — will host a forum on "pro-life feminism."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said the surge of women running as anti-abortion conservatives reflected a "war over who gets to define what feminism means."

"There's an unsettling of the political apple cart," Dannenfelser said. "Sarah Palin kicked the door open, and a lot of women started going through."

Much has been made of Governor Palin's brush with smashing through the glass ceiling in 2008 and her support of conservative female candidates in this election cycle. However, her support for women has extended far beyond political milestones and into the realm of standing for women on the issues, in spite of the Left's constant lies and misrepresentations to the contrary. The Left has often claimed a monopoly on women's issues, but Governor Palin has chipped away at their political support because she understands what true equality is about. The Left often chooses to hang their feminist hat on the abortion issue. However, Governor Palin has turned the "feminist"argument on its head by on multiple occasions by emphasizing that girls and women are strong enough to bring a child into this world rather than viewing abortion as a choice. Governor Palin chooses to go beyond the Friedan/Steinem one issue feminism to evaluate the whole woman.

This week the Obama administration apologized to the UN on behalf for America's human rights' "failings". While President Obama offers this apology, his administration stayed silent when Iran, a country with extremely anti-women views, was placed on the Women's Rights Council of the UN this past Spring. UN ambassador, Susan Rice, had the opportunity to vote and speak against this specific appointment, but did not. Governor Palin, on the other hand, spoke against this nonsensical decision via Twitter:

U.S. Moms: we are thankful 4 freedom!Despicable treatment of women in Iran(setting U.N.policy on women’s rights)make U.N.credibility a joke

Governor Palin stood against the anti-women policies of Iran while the Obama administration chose to vote present. Governor Palin realizes that women's equality isn't about a dichotomous decision of pro-life or pro-abortion. Women's equality is about speaking out against injustices to women throughout the world. It's about measured support for reforms like Title IX which has brought so many opportunities to female student athletes over the past nearly 40 years. It's about supporting pro woman fiscal conservatism which provides opportunity for female business owners and households. It's about recognizing history and the foremothers who came before us and paved the way so that we could have a political voice.

As we approach the 2 year anniversary of Governor Palin's introduction to the national scene, let us re-visit one of Governor Palin's most underrated speeches of the 2008 campaign where she spoke specifically about women's equality issues--support for female business owners, opposition to global injustices and abuses of women, and a strong recognition of history. Governor Palin has not changed her tune:



Cross posted here and here.