Back When the Republican Party Was Endorsing Feminism - Pacific Standard
Being a feminist means believing in the political, social, and economic equality of women. Nowhere is it written that feminists should also support pro-regulatory government policy. And yet, to look at the latest demographics of the feminist movement, you might think it was.
It should come as no surprise that the significant majority of feminists are Democrats. Women on the whole have voted mostly for Democrats since 1980, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. Attention to issues of abortion, equal pay, and parental leave is an integral characteristic of the Democrats’ modern political identity; so, too, are election-time shots at their Republican counterparts’ “war on women.” The left’s woman-friendly brand has paid off: 32 percent of self-identified feminists are Democrats; only five percent identify as Republican.
Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina thinks Republicans can capture the feminist vote. In press remarks last week, Fiorina said it was time for the GOP to “reclaim” feminism from the left majority. For anyone familiar with Republicans’ recent track record on issues of women’s health and equal pay, it would appear Fiorina faces a steep climb to get women who advocate for equal opportunity invested in her and her party.
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