Clifford Alexander Quotes
Perhaps the major challenge during my time in office was getting employers to understand how much more needed to be done to give women their fair share of employment opportunities.
Clifford Alexander, Secretary of the Army (Democrat), Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Open Letter for the 35th Anniversary of the EEOC, 2000
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Although the situation improved over time, all employers do not pay equal wages, although the laws now require equal pay.
Prior to WWII there were few women in the labor force, and the traditional “values” of American society relegated women to be homemakers. However with so many men under arms, there were not enough workers to achieve the war production that was necessary. So changes had to be made in public attitudes, not only towards women working, but the nature of the work that they are capable of and ought to be doing. So the government took a proactive role in changing public attitudes towards women in the workforce. It was a successful effort, and the sociological and psychological effects are still felt, half a century later. See {584781}.
This is one of the earliest expressions of the now famous phrase.
This is one of the most positive statements about women and women’s rights to emanate from a leader of a Muslim Middle Eastern nation.
This quotation from the Koran is used by some to show that Islam was ahead of the West in terms of allowing women to earn their own money and inherit property. In this sense Islam was in the 7th Century far ahead of their Christian and Jewish Counterparts.
However, with this initial start, there is no version of Sharia (Islamic Law) that provides for men and women to earn equally for equal work. Further, there is no right to work at all. In Saudi Arabia, until 2005 women shopping for their own underwear had to buy from men as women were not allowed to be retail clerks. And the Taliban in Afghanistan required women to remain in their home and not work any other place. Even female doctors and nurses were not allowed to work in hospitals. Although they were allowed to control whatever meager income they might earn in their homes.
She was overly optimistic. She would be dead for 30 years before women got the vote and some would argue that full equality has not been reached yet.
This was de facto Equal Rights legislation.
Clifford Leopold Alexander Jr. is an American lawyer, businessman and public servant from New York City. He was the first African-American Secretary of the Army.
