Campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire
In 1980 the Republican party removed the Equal Rights Amendment from its national platform. Now in 1988 the Republicans have removed women from their concerns. A Women’s Agenda Conference was held in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 22-24. The site was specifically chosen to make it convenient for presidential candidates to hear the concerns of women. Members of 42 national women’s organizations such as Business & Professional Women, American Assn. of University Women, Church Women United, B’nai B’rith and the National Women’s Political Caucus were anxious to meet face to face with the presidential candidates.
Not one Republican candidate appeared. Only one of them even acknowledged the invitation, but he declined to come.
The women, especially the Republicans among them, were incensed that the candidates had obviously concluded that women’s views were inconsequential. Statistics have proven that along with the black vote, women’s votes played a decisive role in six U.S. Senate races in 1986. In 1988, 10 million more women are expected to vote than have ever voted before . . . and yet we were ignored by the Republican candidates.
The gender gap still exists; the Republican Party is making it wider.
SHIRLEY MONSON
ROZ GERINGER
National Women’s Political Caucus of California
Encino
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