President-elect Obama Must Appoint More Women to the Cabinet

ALBANY, NY (12/18/2008)(readMedia)-- To date, President-elect Obama's cabinet appointments include only four women. The male appointments number fourteen and there are four positions still open. As it stands, only twenty-two percent of Obama's proposed cabinet would be comprised of women.

Even sixteen years ago, President Clinton's first cabinet was comprised of thirty-seven percent women. For Clinton's second term, that number rose to forty-seven percent. Sixteen years later, many more women have entered the pipeline and should most certainly be considered for the cabinet.

We of NOW-New York State urge President-elect Obama to show his commitment to women and women's issues by appointing more women to his Cabinet. Americans voted for change and this is one change that would be easy to make.

Indeed there is a rich abundance of qualified women from whom to choose. A well-known statistic is that women make up over fifty percent of the population and at least fifty-six percent of voting Americans. Women made the difference in the 2008 Presidential election; and women were responsible for giving our President-elect his new job. This is the time for Obama to repay our loyalty.

President Elect Obama must expand on and advance women into positions of authority in his cabinet. This is a change in which women can believe.