The Effectiveness of Women in/outside Government: Hilary Clinton and Clara Barton - Research Paper Example

 Hilary Clinton and Clara Barton Student Name Instructor Name Date Hilary Clinton and Clara Barton Introduction Throughout history, women have contributed so much in different fields – such as education, nursing, children’s welfare, administration or the government. Their contributions were given recognition by both the public and the private organizations. For instance, Florence of Nightingale dedicated her life helping the injured soldiers and civilians during wartime. Her nursing efforts earned her the credit as the founder of the nursing profession. There are also women in the government sector who had accomplished much in their specific jobs. There are those who were active in the feminist movements and fought for the rights of women. Shirley Chisholm, for instance, entered the government and advocated for women’s issues in the 1970s. 1 She supported the repeal of abortion laws and the guarantee of jobs for all Americans. She worked with Congresswoman Bella Azbug in introducing a bill to improve the Child Development Program. There is also US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who advocated for human rights of women in Beijing (1995) when she was still the First Lady. This paper will discuss two women, one from the private sector and the other from the government sector. The personalities chosen are Secretary Hilary Clinton for the government sector and Clara Barton from the private sector. Barton was the founder of the non-governmental organization (NGO) American Red Cross during the late 19th century. Hilary Clinton: Overview Hilary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. As a lawyer (completing the degree at Yale Law School), 2 her practice with focus on family law and the rights of children. Her husband, William Clinton (whom she married in 1975), became governor of Arkansas in 1979 and later president of US in 1993. She was the first female senator who represented New York. 3 She served became the First Lady from 1993 up to 2001, as US Senator from 2001 to 2009, 4 and was appointed as Secretary of State by Pres. Barack Obama in 2009 (January 21, 2009) 5 after the presidential elections. During the Democratic Primaries in 2008, 6 she had a tight competition with Pres. Obama to become the party’s nominee for the elections. At Yale, she rendered volunteer work at the Yale Child Study Center, handled child abuse cases at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and provided free legal advice to the poor. 7 She received a grant to work at the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1970. A year after, she worked in Washington under the subcommittee of Senator Walter Mondale on migrant workers with focus on housing, sanitation, health and education. Her advocacy for children can be gleaned from her thesis on children’s rights (1973) and post-graduate study on medicine and children at the Yale Child Study Center. Social Welfare Advocacies On her efforts to alleviate the plight of the people, she headed the Task Force on National Health Care Reform as First Lady in 1993 8 when she was the First Lady. Hilary proposed the first national health care program but was not approved. The recommendation of the task force on providing health coverage to employees utilizing individual health maintenance organizations, dubbed as “Hillarycare” was shot down in both houses of Congress. 9 Thus, a universal health care was not established in the US even up to the present. She is a staunch supporter of the rights of women and children worldwide and sponsored conferences on the health of children, school violence and early childhood development. 10 She advocated for the immunization of all children to fight diseases and undergoing of mammogram test of older women for breast cancer detection (with Medicare coverage). She also pushed for the Children's Health Insurance Program (1997) to have children without health coverage be granted by the state. Numerous other programs and initiatives were initiated or implemented by Hilary Clinton in the US and other countries (e.g. abusive treatment of women by the Taliban in Afghanistan, increased participation of women in political activities in their respective countries). 11 Hilary supports the upholding of women’s rights. Thus, during her visit to Beijing in 1995, she denounced the policy of the Chinese government that forces women to undergo abortion even if the latter would not give their consent. 12 In her Beijing speech, she said that “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights,” thus inspiring women in society and enhanced the championing of global movement. 13 She initiated the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and supported through meetings with public officials, foundation leaders, legislators and several others. 14 She also lobbied for the Foster Care Independence bill to help unadopted children on their growth to adulthood. 15 She also fought to augment the funding support for prostrate cancer and children asthma research at the National Institute of Health. 16 During her term as a Senator, Hilary continued to provide an opportunity to expand access of people to quality but affordable health care. 17 She fought for funding the health needs of the first responders who suffered when they worked at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. 18 Moreover, during her senatorship, she fought for the expansion of the health care benefits of wounded servicemen, veterans and members of National Guard and Reserves. 19 As a Senator, the focal point of her efforts revolves around women, children and health care. As Secretary of State, she is representing the US in international fora and conventions. She also visited Africa to meet with women who promote food security. Many of her appearances as representative of US are mere formalities. Since her functions demand that she promote the interest of the US government, her concern has become broader. As head of the US Department of State, she has to promote the foreign policies of the United States. Clara Barton: Overview The International Red Cross may be the most popular non-governmental organization at present. It started in the late 19th century (1859) by chance when the Swiss Henry Dunant came across the wounded soldiers from both the Austrian and French Armies on his way to northern Italy. However, in the US, Red Cross was deliberately founded by Clara Barton. For her humanitarian contribution, she is one of the most honored women in US history. 20 Clara Barton was born Clarissa Harlowe Barton in Oxford, Massachusettes on December 25, 1821. 21 She began teaching at the age of 15, although she got her education at home. She had established a public school in Bordentown, New Jersey for free. 22 At that time, most of the teachers were men but Barton was able to penetrate the profession. 23 Clara Barton: Founder of American Red Cross Her philanthropic life began in 1861 during her employment at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. 24 She organized a relief operation when the 6th Massachusetts Regiment arrived after the Baltimore Riots. She knew that the soldiers would need personal assistance, beddings, food and other needs. 25 Thus, she gathered supplies from others and brought them to the Capitol building where the young soldiers were housed. She was doing this on behalf of the US Sanitary Commission and other relief agencies with which she had no affiliations. She also appealed to the public for assistance, distributed the donations, listened to the uniformed men and gave them emotional comfort. This event marked the beginning of her life-long advocacy. During the Civil War, she would bring supplies and other needs to the soldiers although her life was endangered. She was already 40 years old at that time. 26 It was 20 years later (1881), at the age of 60 that she established the American Red Cross. She spearheaded its activities for 23 years and created a new path for volunteer service for other people of like mind. While visiting Geneva for rest (1869), her friends gave her a book written by the Red Cross founder Henry Dunant wherein the latter called for passage of international treaties that would give protection to the sick and wounded during war. 27 Such protection would be given without regard to the nationality. The first treaty 28 that embodied Dunant’s advocacy was ratified by 12 nations in Europe 1864. Barton later fought hard so that the treaty would likewise be ratified in the US. She was not yet allied with Red Cross when the French-Prussian war erupted in 1870. 29 But she used the Red Cross symbol (from the red ribbon she was wearing) in order to protect herself with the neutral international symbol. During the war, she distributed relief goods to the victims and wounded in Strasbourg and areas in France. She also organized shops in Strasbourg for sewing clothes and comfort materials in large quantities in anticipation for the great demand for them. After this experience in Europe, she communicated with the Red Cross leadership in Switzerland upon her return to the US. 30 With her leadership skills and ability to influence the US government to sign the treaty, the International Committee of the Red Cross gave her a letter which she took to President Rutherford Hayes (1877) who rejected it for political reasons. It was President James Garfield who supportive it but was assassinated before affixing his signature. The treaty was finally signed by President Chester Arthur in 1882 and ratified by the Senate. Thus, the American Association of the Red Cross was established in the District of Columbia in 1881, reincorporated as The American National Red Cross in 1893, and had a close alliance with the Federal government. 31 It functioned as a relief agency during disasters during its first 20 years of existence such as the Michigan forest fire (1884), flood, dam breakdown (Pennsylvania), 32 and numerous others. Conclusion Doing humanitarian services for people can be attained by women in both the government service and the private sector. There is a distinction between the women in the government service and the private sector. The woman in the government sector, especially if a high official would have access to funding and logistics. She can travel to different places using government plane and if using a commercial airline, the airfare is taken from the government coffers. She may also convince other government officials or members of Congress or Parliament to allocate a budget for a particular cause or program she is implementing or supporting. A woman in the private sector, especially the charitable or non-profit organizations, may be limited by budget and other material considerations. In the case of women who founded NGOs such as Barton and Eglantyne Jebb (Save the Children, early 19th century), they started with almost nothing except offering their services and labor. They embarked on humanitarian service as a result of compassion for other people and their suffering. They started the mission with labor and strength as their investments. As their advocacies began to capture the attention of others, people were drawn and volunteered their services, too. NGOs do not exist for a business or profit. Thus, they do not have a steady source of income or money. Their funds come from donations, other organizations, business firms or even the public sector. For instance, in a mission organized to send medical assistance to victims of disasters, an NGO may tap pharmaceutical firms for donations. Government officials or members of Congress may also be solicited for donation in their personal capacities. In fact, the NGOs may also collaborate with government(s) and officials in order to implement their humanitarian program. On the other hand, women in the government sector may also collaborate with NGOs in pursuing their programs and advocacies. Although Hilary was able to work on her main advocacies as a First Lady and Senator, this was restricted when she became the Secretary of State. In her new position, she has to represent and uphold the foreign policies of the US government. When she attends international fora on food security or health, she comes as guest and expresses the policy of US on such campaigns and concerns. In this capacity, whatever assistance she promises to other countries is in accordance to the policies of the US government. On the other hand, Clara pursued her humanitarian activities without any restriction as to position or function imposed by a public office. She helped others despite lack of resources, and through her intensive campaign that donations arrived. In sum, it is concluded that the woman in the private sector provides humanitarian services more effectively than the woman in the public service. Works Cited A Biography of Hillary Clinton. 2007 May. Accessed August 19, 2011. www.lonympics.co.uk/HCLINT.htm “Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross.” Accessed August 19, 2011. http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/claraBarton.asp “Clara Harlowe Barton (1821-1912).” Accessed August 19, 2011. http://www.civilwarhome.com/bartonbio.htm First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton. 2009. Accessed August 20, 2011. www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=43 Hillary Clinton: Biography. 2011. Accessed August 21, 2011. http://www.biography.com/people/hillary-clinton-9251306 Hillary Clinton on Families & Children. n.d. Accessed August 19, 2011. www.issues2000.org/2008/Hillary_Clinton_Families_+_Children.htm Hillary Rodham Clinton. n.d. Accessed August 21, 2011. www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2044.html Hoggart, Lesley. 2000. “Social Feminism, Reproductive Rights and Political Action.” Capital and Class, Vol. 24,1: pp. 95-125. Shoemaker, Deanna. 2010 “Queer Punk Macha Femme: Leslie Mah’s Musical Performance in Tribe 8.” Cultural Studies Journal-Critical Methodologies, Vol. 10, 4: pp. 295-306. US Department of State. n.d. Biography: Hillary Rodham Clinton. Accessed August 21, 2011. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/115321.htm. Read More