13 Quotes About Women & Girls That Show President Obama Has Our Backs
This is our last President's Day with Barack Obama in the White House. However we might disagree about the potential candidates for this fall's election, we can all agree that Obama made some serious strides for women during his time in the Oval Office.
To celebrate Obama's efforts to make women's rights a part of the national political conversation, we've gathered some of our favorite quotes regarding the subject from his speeches, interviews, and written works. As we attempt to enjoy what might be -- let's face it -- the most boring holiday of them all, let's remember all the fist-pumping times our president made our concerns those of our entire nation.
Image via iStock.com/iconogenic; Designs by Anne Meadows
No Excuse
President Obama wrapped up a visit to Kenya with a speech in Nairobi on July 26, 2015, in which he condemned female genital mutilation and other outdated, misogynistic traditions.
We Are Better
President Obama gave the commencement speech at Barnard College in New York, on May 14, 2012, saying, "The question is whether together, we can muster the will -- in our own lives, in our common institutions, in our politics -- to bring about the changes we need. And I’m convinced your generation possesses that will. And I believe that the women of this generation -- that all of you will help lead the way."
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Not Just a Luxury for Some
In his 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama noted that "in today’s economy ... both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families." Finding affordable childcare isn't just a luxury, it's essential for working families.
Access to Birth Control Is a Universal Right
President Obama went on to say, "It is not just an issue of choice, but equality and opportunity for all women."
A Poor Example
On the anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, President Obama announced several new actions that his administration is undertaking to "further advance equal pay for all workers and to further empower working families."
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Inspired by Daughters
In his book The Audacity of Hope, Obama wrote, "I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels -- hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children."
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No Choice at All
"I refuse to stop fighting now -- for the sake of my daughters and yours, we must do better to make sure women are respected and treated equally," President Obama pledged on the 95th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote.
Sons and Daughters Valued Equally
President Obama made remarks at Rhode Island College in
Providence, Rhode Island, on Halloween in 2014, saying, "I am not going to be too long. I’ve got to get back and trick-or-treat tonight with Michelle. Although, Malia and Sasha are a little old -- It’s so sad ... I used to be able to -- we’d dress them up, and we still have the pictures. They’ll resent them later, but at the time they were fine with it. They were so cute!"
Holding Back Women Holds Back Everyone
President Obama continued at Rhode Island College, "Many women can’t even get a paid day off to give birth to their child. I mean, there are a lot of companies that still don’t provide maternity leave. Of course, dads should be there, too. So let’s make this happen for women and for men, and make our economy stronger. We’ve got to broaden our laws for family leave."
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