WOMEN: More to the story

It was great to hear that WalletHub, a company based in Washington, D.C., made news with their statistics on women’s rights and give Idaho advice on how to improve the lives of women here.

According to the statistics I found, more women than men vote in Idaho, so apparently we are not constrained by the long lines, as suggested by Women’s League of Voters spokeswoman, Bonnie Douglas. The goal of the League, I’m assuming, is to get more women to vote, which apparently has been successful. Maybe we need to be encouraging more men to vote?

In regard to women running for office and getting elected, why do we assume that inequality of gender is the problem? Perhaps there are other reasons like choosing to make family a priority or making other life choices. Is someone or something stopping women from running for office like men do?

In regard to low minimum wage and affordable day care; some women prefer to work part time, or work casually (set their own hours), or volunteer where they can take their children along with them, or work from home. Logically, most of those positions are lower paid, yet statistics may not reflect that issue.

Society does not have an obligation to remove all obstacles for us. Historically, women have had more struggles than we do today. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as the highest financial and military institutions in the land, have seen women in their halls.

MARQUETTA MacLEAN

Coeur d’Alene