During this upcoming election, young voters will be extremely influential. Here at St. Ursula Academy, there are many 18-year-old young women who can vote this election and are faced with the task of choosing between two candidates: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton is an especially important candidate this election. This year she made history by becoming the first major female presidential candidate, and could make history once again by becoming the first female president. Women around the country are voting for Hillary because she advocates for the equality of all genders and the LGBT+ community, holds Christian values, and has a strong stance on how to handle military affairs to ensure the safety of our country. As a result, many young women stand by her.

This is the first time that a woman has been a presidential nominee in US history. Gloria Steinem, an activist most famous for her role in feminism, stated that women should vote for Hillary simply because she is a woman. While Hillary being a woman is certainly a significant historical first, this is not the only reason women are voting for her. Her strong position on gender rights and equality also has people siding with her. Big issues she plans to take charge of during her presidency are closing the wage gap between men and women, providing paid leave for parents, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and ensuring women’s rights around the world. Hillary wants to ensure the success of the current women in the workplace as well as ensure a bright future for the girls of America to inherit. During a speech for the United Nations, Hillary said, “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights.” Because Hillary is a mother, a wife, and a grandmother, women of all ages feel that she can most accurately represent their issues in government.

Hillary is also a strong advocate for the LGBT community. She plans to build upon the monumental Supreme Court decision made in the Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized gay marriage by fighting for full federal equality of LGBT Americans in Congress. She plans on creating a larger support system for LGBT youth by ending discrimination and bullying. Supporting gender equality and gay rights is not something new to Hillary either, but something that she has pushed for throughout her career in the US Senate and as Secretary of State.

Many Christian women are also supporting Hillary because of her strong Christian values. Hillary is a progressive Methodist who places high importance on families. As a progressive, she supports women’s reproductive rights which include access to abortion. While some Catholics may be opposed to her views, many women voters feel that Hillary is the best choice for those who are pro-choice. Hillary plans on increasing access to prenatal health care, family-leave, and contraception, therefore cutting the rates of abortion by 50%. Many Christian women also side with Hillary because her love for other people, despite race, gender, or sexual orientation, is based in Jesus’ commandment to love one another as oneself. These beliefs guide her especially when protecting the LGBT community in government. Another value of Hillary’s that connects her with women voters is her family values demonstrated throughout her prolific career.

Beginning in 1977, Hillary was part of the group that founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. In the 1980s she would go on to support the child development center that was a part of her church. This child development center, called the Gertrude Remmel Butler Child Development Center, currently serves over 300 children of working parents in Little Rock, Arkansas, with around the clock daycare. As First Lady she helped to create the Children’s Health Insurance Program that covers millions of children. In 1996, she published It Takes a Village that emphasizes the American community’s responsibility of creating a better future for our children.

As a senator, she worked to improve the health care of children. The list of her accomplishments in providing for children and families is seemingly never-ending. Many Christian women see this and are supporting her for the work she has already done and the work she will do as president. They recognize that their own futures will be safe and prosperous, and they know the generation to come after them will be in good hands.

Young women also side with Hillary because of her strong military stance. Her goals as president are to work with our rivals in order to create alliances, invest in technology that allows us to deal with the threats in the 21st century, take care of veterans, and defeat ISIS. As Secretary of State, Hillary played a crucial role in the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden and has supported the Iran deal, which she says is only part of a larger plan towards negotiating with Iran. As potential commander-in-chief, she would understand the amount of strength and steadiness needed to make the extremely difficult decisions that come with this role.

Also with the increasing threat of ISIS, Hillary knows that it takes superior technology to take down this significant threat of terrorism we currently face. Anyone can appreciate her resume, decision making, and detailed plan for the military.

Hillary Clinton has laid out a detailed plan for her presidency and her long career is certainly a preview of what is to come. Due to her solid stance on gender rights and equality for the LGBT community, her Christian family values, and her progressive military plan, many young women support Hillary in this monumental and historical election.

Sources:

www.hillaryclinton.com

https://medium.com/the-iran-deal/introduction-fcb13560dfb9#.lnummicof

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/carly-fiorina-debate-hillary-clintons-greatest-accomplishment-213157

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=300022&subject=6053

http://www.aradvocates.org/about-us/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/24/hillary-clinton-supporters-democratic-nomination-president/87317468/

http://time.com/4483355/commander-chief-forum-clinton-trump-intrepid/

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/25/hillary-clinton-gets-personal-on-christ-and-her-faith/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/hillary-clinton-is-the-best-choice-for-voters-against-abortion-170258/