Laura interviews Martha Burk, Director of the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's
Organizations and the author of Your Money and Your Life. Burk, an advisor on women’s issues for Bill Richardson, puts in plain English why feminism is about political, social, and economic equality. She takes on everything from Social Security (the main source of income in most women’s retirement) to taxation, pay equity, and the role of women in the armed services. She also discusses the recent primary and and what it means for women voters. Have we made progress? Well, not exactly.
Women are a majority of voters in the United States, something John Kerry seemed to not quite understand in 2004. Is Obama making the same mistake? And why are politicians so afraid of pay equity?
Burk, who received a PhD. in psychology from the University of Texas, serves as Money Editor for Ms. Magazine and is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist.
Great interview! It is so refreshing to hear something – ANYTHING – about women’s issues at all. It is so heartbreaking to watch the women in my neighborhood struggle with multiple jobs when they should be retired and enjoying themselves. One of our neighbors was put out of her house this past week without mercy. Without any mercy at all. Without Social Security these women would be without even the basic necessities such as food and housing. Yet they still have to maintain some kind of employment – usually to pay for medicine.
I know exactly how you feel Laura – What exactly are we supposed to do about this? Our options are becoming more and more limited. We cannot even protest without risk and that fear keeps us silent. We can no longer rely on the vote in this country and without that voice we are lost. I suppose we can hope that Obama will bring ‘change’ but ask any GLBT person in this country how those flowery promises worked out under Democratic administrations.
My hope is that under Obama the fear of peaceful assembly will abate and we can return to the most effective tool of political expression – MARCH ON WASHINGTON!!
First stop – Restoration of our beloved Constitution and Bill of Rights!!
As an aside: Thanks for making your videos available for free. Comcast refuses to support Link or Free Speech and I am delighted to find your work here.
By Force on July 22nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm