I have seen many speeches. Although I wasn't entirely "into politics" at the time, I remember an image of Margaret Thatcher who was absolutely very powerful as British Prime Minister. Also
I've seen many speeches. Although I wasn't entirely "into politics" at the time, I remember an image of Margaret Thatcher who was absolutely very powerful as British Prime Minister. I also heard Hillary Clinton speak powerfully and passionately about healthcare when she was First Lady. They were two completely different speeches with different goals, but both stuck with me because they were women in powerful positions who not only made an impression, they made history.
However, what I have never seen is a First Lady who, as "Mom in Chief," makes a statement with a declaration of love for her husband and family with words that move an audience to their core.
Not a saccharine or predictable speech from a woman doing her duty. Far from it. The best part is that if she wasn't on a political stage, you might not even call it a political speech. It was a personal speech from her heart about the pros and cons of the presidency, but even more so about motherhood and being a wife/partner. With the realization that it is a great honor to fulfill the role of First Lady, she understands, all bells and whistles removed, that priority number one is her children and her family. And she never loses sight of that.
We are talking about a First Lady with degrees from Princeton and Harvard University. A First Lady who has not only mobilized American children to combat childhood obesity but has also developed programs to encourage healthier eating and implemented structural adjustments to provide military families with a better life.
As a woman, I don't recall being prouder to watch First Lady Michelle Obama. And yes, I can't help but say the fact that she is Black and looks so radiantly beautiful makes me even a little prouder.
Besides Michelle Obama who is at the top, there are plenty of other incredibly inspiring women. Besides Elizabeth Warren, one of my favorite passionate, intelligent women who gets things done unconventionally, Sister Simone Campbell is perhaps my most favorite outspoken power woman.
The beauty of Simone Campbell is that she is a nun. As befits a nun, she always sounds modest. Even when she is on stage, and so she was at the convention. Very modest but very assured, she makes it clear that the nuns stand with women when it comes to healthcare. A contentious issue in American politics. Even though the Catholic church has spoken out against the availability of the pill in an insurance package, Sister Simone Campbell, who represents an organization of nuns, makes it clear that she disagrees with this without even mentioning the argument that Viagra is covered.
It is truly a delight for me to watch the speeches and listen to these women. I don't think there is a country on this earth where women have as much power as in America, and I dare say that this is the main reason why the US as a superpower will not be surpassed for a long time.
The other countries that are indeed making rapid progress, India and China, forget to include women in the process. In fact, although women there work just as hard for development, they are still very much oppressed. It seems like a futile detail, but it is fundamentally important. In America, the glass ceiling for women has been broken in almost every area.
It is true that India had a female president even before America, but bride burnings still occur there daily. Just writing this causes me pain. In China, newborn boys are still preferred over girls, with all the consequences that entails. For me, no culture is superior to another, but I do know that this small piece of culture, to include women in a development process, is of immeasurable importance for progress in EVERY area. That is why I continue to watch and be inspired by these powerful women.
My first and greatest power woman is my mother Hertha Gladijs Ritfeld Liong-A-Kong. Who is/are yours?