On Tuesday, January 25, President Barack Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address. And where was I? Well, I was one of about 150 people invited to an Open for Questions event at the White House. It’s great that the administration reached out to the younger generation and provided an opportunity for us to ask our questions after the president’s speech.
At the event, audience members and Facebook and Twitter users got to ask questions of senior administration officials. As an AAUW member and employee, I was hoping to ask about pay equity, but time was limited. Of course, we’re not letting up on the fight for pay equity, and we continue to support those seeking equal opportunity.
Hearing Obama’s plans to move the country forward while I was surrounded by young, motivated people was inspiring. The energy and excitement in the room were tangible as the president spoke of accomplishments such as the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the passage of health care reform.
“The rules have changed,” the president said. And he’s right — developments in technology are allowing us to be more connected than ever before. And I’m a part of it; we’re all part of it regardless of age, gender, or political party. That’s why it’s so important for us to work together to move forward, or we won’t be able to move at all.
As members of AAUW, we’re in a great position to help society move forward. With programs like the Elect Her initiative and $tart $mart workshops, we can get more girls and women involved in politics and provide them the tools they need to negotiate fair salaries. We can use the Two-Minute Activist tool to tell our elected officials how we feel about legislation. We can use Programs in a Box and position papers to educate others about important issues affecting women and men in our country. If we’re facing our “Sputnik moment,” then focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for girls is even more important than ever.
Breaking through barriers is what AAUW is all about — and isn’t that what Obama was talking about throughout the State of the Union? We need to educate, innovate, and create so that we can win the future. And after all, how can we do that without strong, educated women?
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