Obama: It's Great Malia and Sasha Have a Feminist Dad

President makes plea for equal rights in 'Glamour' essay
By Linda Hervieux,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2016 12:26 PM CDT
Obama: It's Great Malia and Sasha Have a Feminist Dad
President Obama says, "It is absolutely men’s responsibility to fight sexism too."   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Obama wants you to know: He is a feminist and you should be, too. In an essay in Glamour magazine, Obama makes an impassioned appeal for women’s rights and calls on men to join the fight against sexism because “when everybody is equal, we are all more free.” With Malia and Sasha on the cusp of adulthood, Obama reflects on the progress women have made in the last century “from space to sports” that has “made life significantly better for my daughters.” Despite those strides, he writes, “there’s still a lot of work we need to do to improve the prospects of women and girls here and around the world.” He cites equal pay and reproductive rights as ongoing battles.

"We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear," writes Obama. "We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs." He adds that it's important that Malia and Sasha have a feminist dad “because now that’s what they expect of all men.” The presidential race did not escape Obama’s review. Without mentioning Hillary Clinton by name, Obama made clear the significance of the Democratic nominee’s gender. “No matter your political views, this is a historic moment for America." Click to read his full essay. (More President Obama stories.)

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