Hillary Clinton at the Gloria Awards: "Nothing elitist about fighting for women's rights"

Impact

Hillary Clinton is back from her long walk in the woods and has recommitted to fighting for women's rights. 

The former Democratic presidential candidate spoke at the Ms. Foundation's Gloria Awards, a celebration of women activists named for feminist icon and Ms. co-founder Gloria Steinem. On the eve of a House vote on a health care bill that would penalize people who have given birth and survivors of sexual assault, Clinton emphasized the urgency of guarding access to medical care; of demanding gender equality now, for everyone, everywhere, across the country and around the world.

"Women's issues are not minor issues, they're not luxury issues to address after everything else has resolved," Clinton said. "They are central to human rights, to economies, to our national security and don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

"There is nothing elitist about fighting for women's rights, equality and opportunity," she added. "And don't let anybody in public life forget that."

The victory of President Donald Trump, Clinton implied, highlighted a disappointing reality: "Not only are sexism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia still with us, but they run deep," she said.

"Do not grow weary. Do not be discouraged. Come together," Clinton said. "Some of you have heard me say that in my long walks in the woods, I developed a new mantra. It's one of those things that pops into your head: 'Resist, insist, persist and enlist.' That is what we will do."