Women for Barack Obama: U.S. Election 2008

Barack Obama has swept the nation's women off their feet. Incredibly skilled at relating to females, Obama delivered a dynamic speech on International Women's Day. And why wouldn't he?

Raised by a single mother, along with 2 sisters, Obama comes by his ability to relate to women quite honestly. Not to mention the positive impacts his grandmothers had on his early life experiences. Top it off with wife, Michelle and their two daughters. There simply is no doubt that he would champion causes close to the hearts of women.

In particular, he speaks of the poverty that many women face all over the world, regardless of their efforts to overcome by working hard (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/poverty/). He also appeals by addressing other issues that are important to women: like fighting global illnesses--including HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. He proposes allocating funds yearly in efforts to snuff out these health problems.

Obama's goals include increase literacy and education for girls/women the world over. He proposes a Global Education Fund to which he would apportion many dollars annually to aid in achieving these goals. Another strong factor for women is Obama's focus during his Senate career working to combat sexual violence against women in the Republic of Congo.

Also during his tenure as an Illinois Senator, Obama was instrumental in sponsoring and passing laws to fund programs that champion the causes of American women (http://obama.senate.gov). Three major foci of these bills were to: (1) provide aid for victims of domestic violence, (2) assure support for victims of sexual assault, and (3) ensure equal opportunities for women.

Obama sponsored and passed various laws to reduce violence against women. Some of the laws included allocating funds to aid women who had been victims of sexual assault. Obama was the main sponsor of The Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA). This bill provides for work leaves for women who are victims of domestic or sexual violence. The bill makes it possible for such women to get leave from work to obtain medical, legal, or health assistance. A prime aspect of the bill allows victims to receive aid while maintaining their jobs.

Obama was a chief co-sponsor of several other women-focused bills (http://obama.senate.gov), including:

---A bill that increases penalties for repeat domestic offenders,

---A bill that increases penalties for committing battery in or near domestic violence shelters, and

---A bill requiring that understandable language be used in orders of protection.

Expanding rights of alleged victims of sexual assault and extension of statute of limitations on selected sexual assault crimes were other laws that Obama fought for and supported. One bill Obama supported involved equal opportunity. It provided for additional protection from pay discrimination for women.

In summary, Obama's run for U.S. President has been widely endorsed by the women in America. His unabashed zeal to champion the causes of women around the world establishes his place in their hearts and just might win him the U.S. presidency in 2008.

Resources

Barack Obama website.

Illinois Senate website.