Since Donald Trump took his place as the President of the United States of America, it would be fair to say there has been some upset. Not only has the March For Our Lives movement been founded during his first term, there have been a number of Women’s Marches taking place across the country, with the first one taking place the day after his inauguration in 2017.
As recent as May this year, we saw the southern state of Alabama restrict abortion laws, making it illegal for women to receive an abortion in the state. Of course, this law has seen a lot of opposition from both men and women but it remains in place. Before Trump ran for president, a lot of women were speaking out against him, highlighting just how sexist the man can be with his famous “grab them by the P***y” comment. Body language experts have analysed how Trump’s wife Melania is just ‘an object to him’, further suggesting he cares little for women, even those close to him.
It seems as though women are under threat when it comes to Trump’s presidency, but he does have a few saving graces. Although barely any of Trump’s achievements directly help the issues surrounding just women, he has managed to decrease unemployment across the board. Trump has done what he does best with the US, and treated it like a business however he seems to be forgetting the people as he focusses on deals and profit.
The Democratic nominees are currently campaigning to have their chance at leading the party and ultimately attempting to win the presidential race ahead of Trump. A lot of diversity has led to the Democrat candidate nominee betting odds being seemingly anyone’s game. With all this injustice against women though, who should women be supporting in this election? Here are our top 3 candidates who seem to support women and their cause the most.
Bernie Sanders
This might come as a shock, with Bernie being a man and all, but he has some pretty incredible policies when it comes to women in the US. Here are just some of the details he looks to change if he should come into power. More can be found on his campaign website.
• Adopt Equal Pay for Equal Work through the Paycheck Fairness Act.
• Fully fund Planned Parenthood, Title X, and other initiatives that protect women’s health, access to contraception, and the availability of a safe and legal abortion.
• Immediately reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
• Pass the Equal Rights Amendment.
• Fight to end sexual harassment in workplaces, the military, and other institutions.
Kamala Harris
Harris was, in fact, one of the women who attended the enormous Women’s March that took place in 2017 where she implored the nation to prioritise women’s issues. Harris is also pro-choice and receives a lot of support from Planned Parenthood meaning she could look to overturn the abortion laws in Alabama.
Every woman deserves safe, affordable access to comprehensive reproductive health care — including abortion.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 27, 2017
The junior United States Senator from California has also mentioned that she plans to close the nationwide rape kit backlog. She would seek $1 billion of investment to do this as well as implement reforms to avoid any future backlogging.
Pete Buttigieg
Another man who makes our list is Pete Buttigieg, the main reason behind this is for his response in a Fox News town hall recently.
“I trust women to draw the line.” @PeteButtigieg when asked about term limits on abortion. pic.twitter.com/iwaXsFxXtz
— Javier (@javiergleddy) May 19, 2019
By saying that he trusts women to draw the line, he suggests that as someone who is not in the situation, the decision does not lie with him. Even if Pete was a woman, he would be saying the same thing. He continued to say that “I think the dialogue has gotten so caught up on when you draw the line that we’ve gotten away from the fundamental question of who gets to draw the line” – of course referring to the individuals in the situation. Abortion rights are one of the biggest issues facing women in the US right now as more states look to pass restrictive anti-abortion legislation so having someone with such a positive strong stance on the situation is a breath of fresh air.
Of course, some other candidates support women in their efforts for equality, but none quite as strong as these three. Although front runner Elizabeth Warren now speaks about investing money so everyone can receive childcare, in her book in 2003, she advised the solution for women was to not to have children if it would put them in financial difficulty as opposed to government help. Joe Biden is currently second in the running, but as we know from previous discussions, his relationship with women is somewhat strained – can women trust him with their vote? It’s still early doors yet but with the fourth debate set to take place in October, it is wise for everyone to start researching their candidates today.
