As many may have heard by now, our former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her intention to run as the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party on April 12, 2015. Clinton used an inspirational video that depicted the stories of diverse individuals around the country, giving viewers the idea of Clinton’s goal to be inclusive in her political platform. “Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion,” Clinton said confidently in the video shown below. For women around the country, the news of a strong female candidate running in the 2016 presidential election has sparked discussion of what her potential presidency will mean for women’s issues such as equal pay and reproduction rights. “In this day in age, I feel like it’s about time we get a woman president elected,” Western sophomore Katherine Misel said. “It is important that we have a woman of power representing the female population in order to achieve a more realistic sense of equality.” As a female college student myself, I am interested to see if Clinton’s candidacy will draw more attention to the pay gap between men and women. Females, with the same degree as men in a certain paid position, do not always receive the same salary or wage. “It is so ridiculous that way we have gone this far in the 21st century without equal pay,” Misel said. On the upside, Hillary Clinton did tweet her intention to address equal pay. The topic will be a part of major discussion highlighted in her campaign’s tour this year. It is reported that full-time working women only earn 77% of what full-time work men do. Learn more about the White House’s reports on equal pay here.
RT if this describes you. #EqualPayDay pic.twitter.com/hHbXqS6VxM
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 14, 2015
To follow her campaign more closely, subscribe to her 2016 campaign website and follow her on Twitter, @Hillary Clinton. It is time we see a female in a male-dominate role to reach our goals toward gender equality.
