Obama's Twitter Town Hall: Where Are the Women?

Spending my summer at the Ms. Foundation for Women, I was immediately struck by one thing after watching a live feed of the July 6 Twitter Town Hall with President Obama on the economy and jobs: women were completely absent. This is particularly striking given how active women are on Twitter and how they choose to use it: Radian6, an organization that analyzes social networking trends, estimates that women have over 98,357 conversations about politics, of which 70 percent are about women and politics and 40 percent about the economy [i]. So why wasn't this reality reflected in Obama's town hall? Why was there not one single question about women and the economy selected? Of the 169,395 questions that were tweeted, I find it hard to believe that issues concerning women and the economy did not trend.

A breakdown by Radian6 of the most common questions #AskObama shows that financial security was one of the most tweeted topics (33.6%). Aren’t women and families seeking answers to financial security as well? We know they are, we know that they are having these conversations on Twitter, and we know that they #Ask[ed]Obama. To highlight a few:

@LisaMaatz: I'd still luv answer @BarackObama: how R U fighting4 #fairpay 4wmn after WalMart vDukes #SCOTUS decision? #askobama #walmartwmn #aauw #fem2

@9to5: We're rebuilding our economy 4a new era &need jobs that r #familyfriendly! Will U include #paidsickdays in rebuilding economy? #AskObama

@Thetaskforce: #AskObama 46% of Fortune 500 co have #lgbt nondiscrimination policies - how will you ensure fed. employment protections?

@Msfoundation: July2009-May2011 women lost 100,000 jobs while men gained 900,000. How will you stop women from losing out in the recovery? #AskObama #fem2


@RWV4Healthcare: Pls, RT! In tough times women cant pay xtra 4 preventive healthcare. Will u tell insurers to drop copays 4 contraception? #AskObama #RWVCiP

Every day, individuals and organizations across the country engage in discussions online about economic injustices that women face including barriers to paid sick leave, equal pay, and health care coverage.

So, again, what happened on July 6? One problem could have been inequality in decision making. Eight curators were chosen by Twitter to help select questions for the town hall. At first glance, it appeared that three of the eight were women -- an obvious injustice right there. Then looking more closely, I discovered that one of the curators, ModeledBehavior, is a team of 3 men. That means only three of ten curators fielding questions were women. [ii] What would have happened if women had been equitably represented?

Perhaps the issues being raised by women were not retweeted frequently enough to attract attention. And yet CBS News in their Political Hotsheet overview of questions posed to Obama highlighted a popular retweet surrounding reproductive justice advocacy:

“A variety of organizations that advocate for reproductive rights, such as Planned Parenthood, are retweeting a question from the group Raising Women's Voices that presses the president on extending his health care reforms. Mr. Obama's health care reforms included a provision to make preventive care free for patients, but these groups say that policy should include contraceptives. "Pls, RT! Women shouldnt have to pay xtra for preventive healthcare. Will u tell insurers to drop copays 4 contraception?"

Since the curators come from news backgrounds themselves, it seems improbable that CBS News would notice a trending women’s advocacy tweet that 10 other news reporters could not find.

I understand; the town hall was only able to field 18 questions in little over an hour. And I didn't expect every question to highlight the contextual issues that keep women in poverty. However, when questions concerning NASA (wasn't this forum about jobs and the economy?) are chosen over those economically pertinent to over half the US population, I begin to get confused. Especially given the rise of what Ms. Foundation President and CEO Anika Rahman has been calling a “womancession.” Between July 2009 and May 2011, women lost 109,000 jobs while men gained 959,000.[iii] Even more disheartening, of the 1.762 million jobs added to the economy between January 2010 and May 2011, only 17.3 percent went to women. [iv]

Yet despite how poorly women are faring, they continue to be ignored in national policies related to job growth and the economy. And if we can’t even receive the appropriate attention in a social media forum such as Twitter -- where we know we have such a huge presence -- how can we hope to make real progress within politics? It's well past time that reporters and politicians alike give equitable attention to women's voices speaking out against social injustice. The only way we can fight the jobs crisis and really fix the economy is if politicians hear women's resounding call for policies that address the entire US population. More than half of our country -- and our economy -- cannot be ignored.

By Stephanie Kershaw

Stephanie Kershaw is a communications intern at the Ms. Foundation for Women as part of Duke University's DukeEngage Moxie Project. "As my senior year approaches," she says, "I have been spending my summer immersed in the world of feminism, activism, and social justice for women in order to better understand how I can impact social change." 

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[i] Coates, G. (2011, July 5). Radian6 Goes to Washington: Twitter #askobama Townhall. Retrieved July 7, 2011, from Radian6: http://www.radian6.com/platform-blog/2011/07/radian6-goes-to-washington-twitter-askobama-townhall/#idc-container
[ii] https://twitter.com/#!/townhall/july-6-curators/members
[iii] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010, February 26). Databases & Tools: Data Retrieval: Employment, Hours, and Earnings (CES): Table B-5. Employment of women on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted. Retrieved June 8, 2011, from United States Department of Labor: http://bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cesbtab5.htm
[iv] Id.

Inauguration Ceremonies 2009: The Day Of and Braving the Icy Currents

I have significantly defrosted. I am walking with a slight limp. I have finally caught up on sleep. I have survived the inauguration ceremonies of President Barack Obama.

To say that Tuesday was an exciting, moving day or a test of true endurance would not do justice to either. Those that were there know that it took more than a few days to recover from the extreme cold, the nine-plus hours of standing and the crushing crowds. However, most that attended inauguration would also adamantly tell you that they wouldn’t exchange the experience for anything.

My Tuesday morning began at 4am, strategically bundled in layers and riding an already-full Metro into the Capital area of DC. Between 5:30 and 8am, I shuffled forward with the other Silver ticket holders on a haphazard line, watching thousands of people pass by in a stream. In speaking to those around me, there were those from Minnesota, Italy, Florida, Nebraska, Canada and California, there were high school student groups, families, friends, grad students, and there were those that had supported Obama in the election and those that hadn’t and just came to witness history. Silver ticket holders, (and yes, every time I peeked at it, the ticket still felt Willy Wonka-esque) as I had suspected, were the non-celebrities that had stumbled upon this chance due to dumb luck.

As such, we were a relatively rowdy bunch that rose up frequent Obama chants and brought down a barricade once we were actually admitted into our area. Being situated on the edge of the small reflection pool in front of the Capital, I think the proximity of it all was just too much for some – after about an hour of deliberation, around two hundred spectators in the Silver section burst through a gate and ran up and around the reflection pool. In an attempt to get even closer, some then climbed into trees, onto statues or on the frozen reflection pool itself. Staying around the pool area, I opted for the far more boring approach to waiting out the next four hours: stomping my feet, chatting with fellow enthusiasts, and sharing snacks.





Despite the impressive show of crowds beforehand, it would only be after the ceremonies that the sheer number of people in DC would become truly apparent. The thousands of cops that had come to help from all over the country -– Ohio, Texas, Florida, etc. -– could only help so much, as the city took on all 1.8 million celebrants at once in a scene of good-natured chaos. The swamped streets, clogged Metro stations, and the random road-blocks pushed a great deal of people out onto the highways, which soon became flooded with pedestrians. It was out on one of these highways that I finally found a friend that I had been trying to meet up with for an hour and a half. Amongst hundreds of others, my friend and I walked the highway, attempted to enter some Metro stops, returned to the highway after several failures, and took it down under the Capital. After three hours of attempting to exit the area, we finally found success at a Metro station to the north of the Capital. Our apocalypse-like experience wasn’t quite over yet, however, as the escalators in this station were still only running downward to accommodate all of the crowds. As a result, anyone trying to exit the station had no other choice other than to climb the ramps next to the escalators up and out of the station.









As entertaining as all of this may be, it points to something far deeper that was going on on Tuesday. It is a testament to how meaningful this moment was that a record-breaking number of people were willing to travel to DC to stand for hours in freezing temperatures for a ceremony that lasted a little under an hour. And, despite all of chaos and physical discomfort people endured, it was clear that the general feeling was one of unshakable joy and tolerance, especially since not one arrest was made. For these people, the experience had less to do with the images that anyone could watch later on YouTube than the physical space they occupied by being there. The mass of people- enthusiastic, elated, emotional and excited to be a living testament to what was actually occurring- is what will resonate with me whenever I think back on my experiences. In trying to anticipate who exactly would be best represented at the inauguration ceremonies, I had always assumed that the candidates would be corporations, grassroots organizations or political groups, with the average visitor dodging around or caught up in whatever they had to say. It had never crossed my mind that all of the above would be so distinctly absent and so wholly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, just celebrating.





The day, to me, became about the people. It became about the millions of black dots that faced a small stage with only a few black dots. In the surreal moment in which I realized that some of the world’s most important leaders were just people on a stage not terribly far away, I also realized the overwhelming power in the numbers facing them. It truly solidified for me how amazing this country can be in its strange, passionate, peaceful turnover of who gets to stand on that stage every four years. And, as mature a process as this is, President Obama’s call for an end to the childish tendencies we’ve developed (including the deafening roar of “boo’s” when George W. Bush was announced) seemed more relevant than ever. In his speech, he alluded to the fact that analysis, accountability and action, all of which define a mature nation, truly need to be adopted by our mass of inspired people if the amazing momentum we have created is to keep going.

It seemed relevant that we were being told this on such a cold day. In referencing the almost certain defeat Washington and his troops faced on the shore of the Delaware river, Obama said, “With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.” Our endurance, I’m sure, will have to be for far greater things than 22 degree weather, although it was a symbolic start. Looking around, speaking with others, and listening to what they had to say, I was filled with the hope that, working together, we will make it to the other side. And, afterward, as we walked the apocalyptic-looking highways, I couldn’t help thinking that, just like Washington on the Delaware, sometimes we mistake the bleakest-looking moments in our history as the end, when we are really at the beginning of something great.

[See Caitlin's first inauguration post: Inauguration Ceremonies 2009: Being Here.]

Inauguration Ceremonies 2009: Being Here

I have in my possession a ticket to the inauguration ceremonies of President-elect Barack Obama. I know; I was just as surprised. It still hasn’t quite computed for me, either.

I have no connections to speak of. I was not born under a lucky star. But, perhaps this is what this election is about — being able to attend a significant historical moment simply because my name was chosen at random from a lottery of residents of the 12th congressional district of New York. Maybe this entire election has felt so momentous because it has made people feel that they could be a part of their own government again, simply because they are Americans.

I’ve felt a range of emotions since I found out that I was going to be able to attend the ceremonies: the obvious excitement, the disbelief that I was given the chance, the numbness of the DMV experience required to actually proved that I am a member of the 12th congressional district, the overly hot and overly cold bus out of Chinatown, the just plain cold weather, the half-pride, half-frustration with the push of the crowds that are only expected to get much, much worse. And, for what? No one is entirely sure. What the actual day of Obama’s swearing in will be like has been predicted from various angles.

Will it feel like the national emergency that it’s been declared? Or will it feel closer to Woodstock, or New Year’s Eve in Manhattan? Will it be an empowering experience that confirms the kind of change-centric administration we are promised, or will it mostly be an overwhelming display of memorabilia? Will it allow for an impressive display of grassroots fervor and real community connection? Will what over a million Americans experience first-hand be a kind of reflection of what the next four years will be like?

It has already felt a bit like a combination of all of this. There was a general buzz on the bus down among people of all ages, with discussions that included, “We’ve waited for so long, this is now our time,” and, “I think my Mom is becoming a Republican after this.” The first sign any of us saw as soon as we entered DC was a giant “OBAMA HEADQUARTERS” banner that definitely wasn’t the headquarters for anything other than shirts, mugs, flags, thimbles, and plates. Since then, I’ve also been offered Obama condoms, Obama chocolate, and Obama tattoos by sellers lining the streets in the Capital area. But, the nature of everyone: crowds, Metro employees, bus drivers, memorabilia hawkers, has been of general excitement and amusement at the sheer number of people that have come for this event and the inevitable commercialism that is involved. Even when my good friend Elliot and I waited for almost two hours on a line to get into the “We Are One” concert, only for our orderly, snaking line to crumble into a mass of enthusiastic people, we walked a few blocks down, gave a friendly wave to the anti-gay protesters, and joined the hundreds of thousands of people standing out in front of the JumboTrons around the Washington Monument. As everyone else had figured out, being close to the event wasn’t nearly as important as just being there, Obama hats, pins, flags, and all.

Some people have asked why being here is important to me at all, when I could just as easily be far away from crowds and cold, watching it all on television with the rest of the Ms. Foundation for Women staff (where I currently work as a Development Associate). The truth is, before I even found out that I had a ticket to the events, I was planning on coming to DC anyway, for several reasons. Besides wanting to be part of a very important historical moment, there is also the thrill of millions of people being gathered for the same reason and the mystery of what could possibly emerge from such a gathering. Additionally, as I pointed out to the shock of my parents, I have known a Bush administration for 1/3 of my 24-year-old life. Since I was 16, when I was first really putting together my own inkling of social justice interest, I have known a presidency of snap-reactions, fear, and a silence on some of the most important issues, disguised by a roar. As a young woman, it is so empowering to know that for the next four years, my President is a self-identifying pro-choice, feminist individual that is willing to tackle and name the issues of race, class, and gender. The prospect of all of this is exciting enough that I want to be here to celebrate and share.

As such, I’ll be waking up at 4am on Tuesday morning, moving along with the crowds, trying to stay warm. I’m not sure what to anticipate other than that. But, just as millions of people will be watching, talking, experiencing, and totally present for this event, so I think this should be a reflection for this entire administration. Now that we finally feel a part of it, whether or not you are here on Tuesday, we should actually be here: watching, talking, experiencing, and being present for all of it.

[Update: See Caitlin's second posting: Inauguration Ceremonies 2009: The Day Of and Braving the Icy Currents.]

Women's Solutions, National Solutions

In a campaign season where the concept of “women”—as candidates and as voters—has generated a great deal of rhetoric, but not very much in the way of substantive policy, Barack Obama’s announcement of a set of policy priorities [pdf] targeting the needs of America’s working women was a welcome, albeit long-over-due change. We hope this announcement marks a turning point in the campaign, and that both candidates will hold themselves accountable to the millions of women—especially low-income women and women of color—who are bearing the brunt of the current economic crisis.

As Obama implied on The Today Show, women across America are finding themselves disproportionately affected by the uncertain economic environment. Women still are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns (the disparity is worse for African American women, who earn 62 cents, and even worse for Latinas, making 53 cents for every man’s dollar) which puts them at a disadvantage even in a good economy. Moreover, women comprise the majority (59%) of the nation’s minimum wage earners, while simultaneously bearing greater responsibility for child-rearing (10.4 million women are single parents, compared to 2.5 million single-fathers according to the latest US Census). Also the majority of minimum and low-wage jobs do not guarantee affordable health care or even paid sick leave, and the result is that many working women must make a choice between their own health and putting food on the table for their families. The soaring cost of child-care further erodes working women’s chances at establishing any sense of economic security.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis rippling across the nation has also hit women harder: 32 percent of women hold subprime mortgages compared with 24 percent of men, a disparity accounted for by women’s historically lower wealth and income. The repercussions are even worse for African American and Latino homeowners who were 30 percent more likely to have received sub-prime loans. Furthermore, as the real estate market employs significantly more women (142,000) than men (42,000), the industry-wide downturn means that more women’s jobs are at risk.

Our grantee partners across the country, many of whom are low-income women and women of color, know personally the effects of economic injustice, made more acute by the current economic downturn. Based on their lived experience, they have vital recommendations for policy change. Being attentive to the struggles of low-income and middle-income women is a first step; truly incorporating working women’s diverse perspectives in policy development, however, is the only way to guarantee the practical, sustainable solutions our nation needs.

Most importantly, we must realize that meeting women’s needs—via affordable health care, accessible child care, paid sick leave, a living wage, etc.—will result in an improved chance at economic security for all our nation’s people, women and men alike.