Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina will challenge modern feminism in a speech Thursday at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, according to prepared remarks released by her campaign.
Fiorina will say that today’s feminist movement is “not about women,” but rather “about ideology” in stark contrast to the movement’s roots.
“Feminism began as a rallying cry to empower women — to vote, to get an education, to enter the workplace,” Fiorina will say. “But over the years, feminism has devolved into a left-leaning political ideology where women are pitted against men and used as a political weapon to win elections.”
She will list examples of the Left using the “war on women” rallying cry to shut down conversations and label Republicans and anyone who disagrees as “anti-woman.” She will specifically mention Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who was referred to as “window dressing” by the pro-abortion group EMILY’S List when she was chosen to give the Republican State of the Union response.
But Fiorina will also point out that despite having “more opportunities than anywhere else on earth,” America can still be a better place for women. Fiorina’s vision includes more women in the workforce — she will point out that women make up nearly 48 percent of U.S. jobs, but that 1 million have lost their jobs under President Obama.
Fiorina will say the struggles women are facing in America are caused by liberal policies. She proposes the feminist-friendly solution of hiring more women to increase diversity. She also gives her definition of feminism:
“A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses. We will have arrived when every woman can decide for herself how to best find and use her God-given gifts,” Fiorina will say. “A woman may choose to have five children and home-school them. She may choose to become a CEO … or run for president.”
Her remarks about feminism will surely ruffle the Left’s feathers, but her solutions — hiring more women, increasing women’s access to resources — are all things commonly requested by liberals. It will be interesting to see what their response will be.
