Change in Command for the Commander in Chief

There are some obvious answers I could point out: issues about abortion, emergency contraception, and the “right to choose” are among those answers, along with issues of gender discrimination. I’m choosing to not talk about those too much, because I’m not preaching what’s right or wrong here, which would be based on my own beliefs. Instead, I’ll focus on economic issues, as the economy is what seems to be on a lot of people’s minds lately, for good reason.

So what does Obama mean for jobs for women? Well, if you want to look at it from a negative perspective, Obama’s win over Hillary in the primaries, and Obama/Biden’s win over McCain/Palin for the presidency, means that neither of the two highest offices in the country — both President and Vice President of the United States — were positions filled by women (yet)[1].

From a more positive perspective, there is much to look forward to, if Obama’s plan is successful. And I say this as a non-Democrat (and a non-Republican). Obama’s Economic Plan says it will financially benefit working women in America by a “Making Work Pay” tax cut, an increase in minimum wage, an expansion in earned income tax credit, extended child care tax breaks, and help for women without employer retirement accounts or health insurance.[2] That sounds pretty good to me. If he is indeed successful, this looks like it certainly could mean more and more successful women.

What this does not mean, however, is that everything will change right away. Things take time, and while any positive movement from on high by the government may happen to improve women’s issues, there is still a mindset change that needs to happen throughout the country. I foresee the fight for pay equity to take some time.

I am interested to see what pans out after this inauguration. Obama promises hope — and that’s wonderful. Let’s all hope and look forward for a positive change in all of us (not just our President) — that is the true change I want to see.

[1] Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin (regardless of which of the two you supported, if any) both being present in 2008’s elections were exciting views into the future of what could someday become a reality — women in the highest positions of going to American government.
[2] Where Barack Stands: Women for Obama Issues

Jina Bolton is a visual interaction designer and artist working in Silicon Valley and residing in San Francisco. She likes making pretty websites, and then she likes writing and speaking about it. Jina is a co-author of The Art & Science of CSS; she has also written articles for publications including A List Apart, .net Magazine, Vitamin (of which she is an advisor), and SitePoint. Jina has been featured in CSS Professional Style and Web Designing magazine, and has spoken at interactive and web design conferences around the world on topics including web interface design, CSS, and social networking.

Jina has consulted for various agencies and organizations, including the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Redesign Project and Mass.gov. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Computer Arts and Graphic Design from Memphis College of Art, and is an active member of AIGA (San Francisco chapter) and CSS Eleven. Jina is currently attending graduate school at Academy of Art University toward a Master of Fine Arts in Computer Arts New Media. She enjoys traveling, is learning Italian, and digs sushi and robots.