Message from NWPC National

NWPC NATIONAL WEBSITE

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Women, United we Stand
Bettina Hager

It has come to the attention of politically minded women nationwide that NJ state Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono is being asked to accept an unprecedented seat sharing offer. What the exact political motives behind this insulting insinuation that it takes two women to effectively hold a typically man’s job, it is obvious that there is an effort to undermine the authority and effectiveness of Senator Buono, a rising female political star.

Women comparatively hold so few power positions that it is both difficult and counterproductive to even find two women to pit against each other. It is especially damaging to the image of women because so often these “catfights” don’t truly exist but are merely capitalized by the media who are desperately seeking a juicy story. It can, in effect, create a divide that is baseless yet powerful enough for the careers and reputation of women politicians to be put under the microscope.

The most important thing for women to remember is that united we stand stronger. When the representation held by women in the NJ government is a measly 28% we need to view each other as allies. It is especially offensive considering that the efforts are a political maneuver created by men who, when facing a formidable challenge, feel that women- as interchangeable public figures- can be simply replaced. Even more degrading is the idea that a job, historically held by a string of men, can only effectively be done with the combined efforts of two women.

This blatant disrespect and disregard of women’s political talents and aptitude should be taken as a rallying call. Yesterday’s elections marked the one year countdown to the upcoming 2012 election and two years until the NJ Governor election- where Buono is considered a strong favorite. We must stand by our strong women and let them know that we will not stand for divisive tactics or an insistence on shared power. Lest we forget, women hold up half the sky.