Bella Abzug |
March 23, 1973
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Bella Abzug
Feminist Movement leader; US Representative (D-NY); Founder, WEDO (Women's Environment and Development Organization)
Answers to Written Questions from the Floor:
Q: As you might expect there are a number [of questions] on the feminist movement and the first one: The feminist movement has tremendous political potential. How and when do you see this potential reaching realization?
A: Well, I think it is in the process of reaching potential all the time. I referred and alluded to the numbers of women that were at both party conventions. I don't know whether you realize that in the prior conventions before that, in '68, the percentage of women in the Democratic Convention was 13 and the percentage of women at the Republic Convention was 17. Women are participating in many activities, in both the economic, political and educational life of our society, and as they get more involved in sharing some of the fruits of the economics of our society, I think the movement will become larger and bigger. I think there is a realization that the society that lays claim to being the major democracy can certainly not claim to be that unless in its decision-making, the majority of its population has an appropriate representation. Just as if we eliminate the young people or minorities from decision-making, we can hardly claim to be a democracy. So that I think that this is a movement that is growing, the National Women's Political Caucus, which is essentially the political aspect of the women's movement, has shown great ability. There are caucuses of women organized in almost all of the states. We just had a large convention in Houston and I think that it's quite evident that women are going to leave the backdoors and the backrooms, where they lick stamps and do the typing and telephoning, and come out front and share in their leadership. That was a long answer.
Q: You mentioned the Supreme Court. We have a number of questions and a couple of typical ones. When will there be a female justice on the Supreme Court, and how about a female president and who would it be?
A: Well, I explained the problem on the question of the justice of the Supreme Court. All of the women in Congress, Republican and Democrat, did communicate with President Nixon on each of the occasions, of the openings, as did many other groups of women throughout the country and men, and we were unsuccessful. It's very difficult to envisage when that will happen, but I think if there is pressure for it, it can take place, even in the present next period of time. Of course, we're not interested in the cause. We want to see to it that we get a woman appointed to the Supreme Court that will reflect the kind of needs that the, I think injustice we have in the country as a whole. So, I think we ought to all watch this carefully, and continue to bring pressure. We have very many qualified women who are judges and law professors, good lawyers and we should strive for that.
All during the last convention, reporters would constantly come up to me and ask me - I was at the Democratic Convention - about whether or not we'd have a female president in 1976, and I kept saying that, well, after this convention and in the next year or two, we won't even have that question. Shirley Chisholm, who I understand was here, ran to make it clear that the presidency was not the preserve of the white American male. I think that she made her point. I think that as we move forward, the question of women in all areas of political life will become as natural as men being in all areas of political life. And so, I think it's very much within the realm of our very near future. Who it'll be - I'm too good a prognosticator to know that I can't prognosticate that.
Q: This member would like to know, do you have any further political aspirations? If so, what are they?
A: I think I just answered that question.
Q: Moving now to the proposed 27th amendment, there are a number of questions. Are you totally convinced that enactment of the proposed 27th amendment would give women more goodies than it takes away?
A: Well, I am totally convinced, of course. I believe that the Equal Rights Amendment will take those laws which are presently unequal and deprive women of equal rights, of equal opportunity. Those which confer benefit on women will also confer benefit on men. And, I think that it will reflect the reality of actual life. You can't have women working and women participating in all arenas of our country without the concomitance of equal rights and I think that it's a mistake to suggest that something is going to be taken away. We are not forcing, under the equal rights, any woman who wants to stay in the home, to come out of the home. That is her right. If someone regards that as a goody, fine. And I would just advise her to keep the door open. But the equal rights that many women felt they got by various state protective laws, in fact, as technology has developed and as events haven taken place, have merely been utilized to discriminate against women's equal opportunities as we all know. And so, I feel that the score is very largely on the plus side.
Q: What do you rate the chances of success of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution?
A: Well, in my notes yesterday I had 29 states and now we have 30 states. We only need eight more and I think that, with a good effort on the part of men and women, it can come to pass much more quickly than some have predicted. I think it's important to understand that a society in which women have equal rights is one, which, I think, will confer rights of a greater quality on both men and women. We are a movement that has more and more moved in the direction of being interested in human rights. We are not interested in securing our rights in a society that has millions of people going hungry, that rather builds cost-overrun missiles and so on, that no one can eat or clothe themselves with and so on. That we need a society which can provide for all of its people. We're not interested in a better job or political office in a nation that has no soul.
And so, our interest is creating, through the Equal Rights Amendment, through the women's movement and so on, a society that is egalitarian for all people, that is more humanist, that is non-violent, that eliminates discrimination against women and young people and minorities, as well as elderly people and, I think that the women, never having really had any power, so to speak, can look at more objectively. We don't have any mistakes that we have to stick with. And so, if we get the chance to participate I think we can help the country as a whole.
Q: You mentioned some of the discussions between Congress and the president. Here's a question. Regarding the war between the President and Congress, what's a woman's place in this macho struggle? What's your idea of the best solution and your prediction of the outcome?
A: I believe, as I just said, that women can give a great deal of leadership to this effort. We did not erect the monstrous military budget. If you read the Pentagon Papers, which everybody's reading these days, on the trial not so far from here, you won't be able to find the name of one woman. I think women can give leadership, because I think we have humanist values, values in which we recognize that we want to build a constructive and a peaceful society for all people. And so, I think that women as lobbyists, as pressure people, as leaders in the field of consumers, in the field of social concerns of health and education, in the field of childcare, in the field of housing, the kind of things that we need to build and construct the fabric of society, will give a great deal of leadership in the struggle between the President and the Congress.
My belief is that Congress has to assert the constitutional powers that it has over the budget. It has to insist that the Congress is an independent branch of government, that it represents the people, and that the restoration of its power is essential for democracy, as I said before, that if there is significant pressure from all segments of the population, we will see success in this. In any case, we must see it because we have no other alternatives. We certainly can't continue in the path that we're going down at this moment, because it's a down path, and I believe that the outcome is very possible. We have many members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, who object to the empowerment of funds, which is unconstitutional, to the control over the budget which the president seeks, to lose control over indeed the whole operation of government and the country itself, and I think if we make our views known and we participate fully that we can effectuate the change and give Congress the guts it needs to do it.
Q: Some questions now on women and employment. How do you feel about the current trend of white women entering into the hierarchy of business calling themselves minorities?
A: Well, aren't they? In one sense, they are.
Q: Another question. Can you suggest an active means of combating discrimination for women in looking for employment?
A: Well, there are many means, the Woman's Equity League has indicated, filed 2,700 complaints about the discrimination against women in the university, most of which have found to be valid. Women I think have organized so that both in the field of business as well as labor have made their mark. I think women have to take their rightful place of leadership in the labor unions, among working women. I think we in the women's movement have a responsibility to reach out, not only to middle class women, but to working women and poor women and minority women, to find the ways in which we can help create a better economic condition for them. And all of this will lead towards combating discrimination.
We have to pass legislation on the book of which there are a good number of legislation. To eliminate discrimination in credit, Social Security and taxes. To insist that we have a right to childcare, to insist that we have a right to certain minimum wages, to insist that household employees get a minimum wage. We have all of these problems that we hope people will join us on. We have the right to insist that women who work in the home have some additional security other than dependence upon their husbands. We have homemaker benefits legislation. All of these things are in the hopper, all of these things need your support, the support of men and women who want to improve American life for everybody.
Q: Several questions on family life, a couple of typical ones. Does the family have a role in the life of a liberated woman? If so, what, and who's going to have to stay home to take care of the children?
A: You want to answer that question, Martin? There are many women who are in families, there are many women who will not be in families. I've been married to Martin, the same man, for 28 years. We have two lovely daughters, aged 20 and 23. I was a practicing lawyer all of my life before I went to Congress. We both participated in the total family life. We were fortunate enough to be able to get some assistance. I think society has a fundamental responsibility to recognize changing conditions and to provide the childcare and other services, and to change the laws in the way in which there will be a recognition of maternity and maternity benefits, maternity leave and the rights to a continued job.
Society has the responsibility to recognize that the big thing about a country like ours is that we change and so that a liberated woman can participate. It's difficult to be three-fold, occupied as a woman, mother, and person out in the world. But it's a reality, again. I mean, 43 percent or more of the women in this country work, most of them because they have to. And, liberation is just a phrase that we need in order to build our movement, but it really reflects what is. And the family will have changes in it; in some cases, there will be a disruption in the family as indeed all change creates disruption existing patterns. But I think that we have a right to expect that in a great country like this that we've got the billions of dollars to waste on cost overruns and giving and subsidizing big business even for their mistakes. That they could give us childcare centers for the kids that we've got and improve our educational system. It's not a matter of who's going to stay home to take care of our children; it's what we're all going to do together to make life more beautiful, if I may use a romantic phrase.
Q: Congresswoman Abzug, I'm afraid we're running out of time even though there are many more questions left, and there's time for just one more question. Before asking it, I would like to thank you very, very much on behalf of the members and guests of The Commonwealth Club gathered here today. The response obviously showed how much they enjoyed your remarks, your answers to the many questions.
Following your answer to this question, the meeting will be adjourned. What are the three most important women's rights worth fighting for now?
A: Economic, social and political equality.
Generously funded by:
Tom Campbell
Dee Dee Myers