We Need More Women In Power

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With his ridiculous comments about rape, Rep. Todd Akin (R) brought to light an important issue – the lack of women in our government. In 2012, according to the Center for American Women and Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, women hold 16.8 percent of the seats in Congress, 17 percent of the seats in the Senate and 16.8 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. Also, according to the 2010 US Census, women make up 50.9 percent of the US population. Without speculating the reasons for this disparity, it is important to reiterate that the majority of the people making decisions regarding women’s issues are men.

Men like Todd Akin not only have no place in the government, but they also have no place talking about rape, abortion, or birth control. They are not even remotely capable of understanding what it feels like to be a victim of rape, who has just found out that she is pregnant. Nor will they understand what choices face a pregnant 16-year-old girl. Being able to imagine, empathize, or speculate is not good enough.

The only way such a debate is legitimate is if women are accurately represented in the government and for that to be true, we need a lot more women in influential positions. We have come a long way since 1920 (when women first got the right to vote) but there is still a long way to go.

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Read more: Life, News & Issues, politics, Todd Akin, women, women's rights

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Olga L.

2:53PM PST on Feb 26, 2013

There is no need to be a woman to make difference. Be the best you can, help others.

February 26
send a green star

Silas G.

1:21PM PDT on Aug 28, 2012

I think saying that these people are not capable of understanding these things is letting them off the hook. They are perfectly able to understand, they are simply not doing it. It is not a limitation they have, it is something they have done wrong.

August 28
send a green star

Lyn S.

5:02PM PDT on Aug 27, 2012

Sex has nothing to do with the kind of people in power. Unfortunately those who feel the need to be in positions of power tend not to be the best people for the job!

August 27
send a green star

Edward M.

10:24PM PDT on Aug 24, 2012

It's not women, per se, that are needed, but individuals in offices of power who should have the basics of ability and integrity, sadly lacking at the present time, both over there in America and here in the UK..

August 24
send a green star

Loretta R.

4:22PM PDT on Aug 24, 2012

Welbec, this goes far beyond one legislator, who just happened to accidentally blurt out the truth behind the Republican philosophy of life. Think about it...

Nancy B.

11:03AM PDT on Aug 24, 2012

There is no doubt that we need more women in positions of power. One of our problems is that many women won't support other women. I don't know if it is jealousy, envy, habit, but in most cases, women prefer men as bosses, and they even criticize women as unfeminine if they try to reach the top in businss or politics. We better change and unite because this group of Republicans truly want to take us back fifty years. I lived then; it wasn't the good old days; it was just the old days.

Virginia P.

7:21PM PDT on Aug 23, 2012

I agree with a few of the comments here already. I do not think it is only about gender differences. We probably never should only pursue the difference in gender, but also focus on the competence of the person in office. I agree that we need more competent women in office.