Throughout his life, President Jimmy Carter was genuinely interested in the challenges women faced and how people could implement programs to end discrimination.
The day we’ve been dreading has arrived. President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100.
I come from a feminist family that loves Jimmy Carter. I have watched President Carter work tirelessly to protect women’s rights, elevate our voices, and change our lives. I met him almost 15 years ago and was subsequently asked to join his advisory board and ambassador program at the Carter Center in Atlanta. This invitation was the excitement of my life, and I was inspired by his wisdom and insight every time we worked together. And that will continue to be the case throughout the rest of my life.
One day, I picked up my cell phone and President Carter thanked me for supporting the wonderful projects of the Carter Center and asked me to get more involved in his campaign. I experienced first-hand that the Center’s Transforming Women’s Lives campaign was focused on expanding women’s rights and ending discrimination around the world. Its impact was felt from small municipal services to national policies, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, the United States, Argentina, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Guatemala, Uganda, Peru, Liberia, and Brazil.
When we first met, President Carter was working on starting a small but influential group called Elders. Launched in 2007 with Mary Robinson of Ireland, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela of South Africa, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Elders now has six program areas, one of which is women and women. Equality for girls.
Two years later, in July 2009, the Elders made a major announcement calling for an end to harmful and discriminatory practices that are unfairly justified on grounds of religion and tradition. Jimmy Carter, the chief press secretary at the time, said the Elders “encourage all leaders to challenge harmful teachings and practices, no matter how deep-rooted, that justify discrimination against women. I am calling for change.” We especially call on leaders of all faiths to have the courage to recognize and emphasize the positive message of dignity and equality shared by all of the world’s major religions. ”
Ending child marriage and ending female genital mutilation is an initiative of Girls Not, an international organization working around the world to end harmful and discriminatory practices, especially those based on false assumptions of traditional religious practices.・By supporting the establishment of “Bride”, two important activities were achieved.
However, one of his many books, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power (2014), sanctions misogyny and supports gender equality.
He began the book with a story about the “scourge of racial prejudice” growing up in the Deep South and how those who “benefited” from a system of rampant racism used the name of God to justify discrimination. This book is presented in recognition of how carefully the Bible has been selected.
President Carter wrote:
“Similar systems of discrimination extend far beyond narrow geographic regions and across the globe. It affects every country, and it continues to lead to the trafficking of human slaves, mutilation, and even large-scale legalized It even perpetuates and amplifies murder. This system is based on the assumption that men and boys are superior to women and girls, and some male religious leaders distort the Bible, Koran, and other sacred texts. supported by.”
He says he and Rosalynn have traveled to 145 countries and had the opportunity to interact directly with women and girls, often in remote villages, jungles and deserts. They learned that economic inequality increases rapidly with each passing decade.
The final section of the call to action, “Pathways to Progress,” explains what needs to be done to achieve equality, including adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Jimmy and Rosalynn supported this amendment during their time in the White House and throughout the administration. It’s alive.
As President, he was one of the first heads of state to proudly sign CEDAW (United Nations Convention on Women). CEDAW is one of many treaties that the U.S. Senate has not yet ratified, and the United States is one of the few countries that have not. . Immediately after taking office, his administration quickly implemented a National Commission on the Observance of the International Year of Women and appointed its members. Thanks to Bela Abzug, the commission has hosted 50 state conferences, six territorial conferences, and in 1977 held a national conference in Houston that adopted an ambitious plan of action to advance women’s rights. It was held.
President Carter appointed strong women to the federal courts, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was first appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. At the time, President Carter broke records for women being appointed to judge, cabinet, and top executive positions.
Throughout his life, President Jimmy Carter was genuinely interested in the challenges women faced and how people could implement programs to end discrimination.
I had the honor of sharing many wonderful personal moments with Jimmy and Rosalyn and saw how they both go to extra lengths to help us all. He admired our talents and shared our joy. When I visited Plains, I square danced with him in the town square. The humidity and heat of summer took a toll on me, but “Jimmy” continued to smile and dance with his neighbors. He waited at the end of the barbecue line before eating dinner. He wrote me a handwritten thank you card and last year he gave me a get well card when I had an accident.
The day after a quick breakfast conversation at an Ambassadors Circle meeting in San Diego, he stopped by the hall and asked his teenage nephew about his future plans to sell T-shirts to help victims of the Nepal earthquake. . I cried as I listened to his loving and caring Sunday school lessons at Marantha Baptist Church in Plains.
Watching Jimmy and Rosalyn work together, they were the best example of an equal partnership in marriage, soul mates, and wonderful parents and grandparents.
He clearly loved making this world a better place. May we all carry his inspiration and dedication in our hearts and actions.