President Obama made an constitutional reference to women fighting for equality in the U.S. during his commencement address at Barnard College Monday. “What made this document special was that it made it possible for those who were left out to fight their way back in — a constant forward movement,” he said. “We look forward, not backward.”
He also referenced the importance of women taking leadership roles in government to effect policy, name-checking Sen. Barbard Mikulski (D-MD) and outgoing Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Before women like them, Obama said, the money for research in health care was mostly directed toward affilictions affecting men. He also spoke about the example of Lily Ledbetter, the woman who sued her employer because she was consistently making less money than her male counterparts. Her name adornded the equal pay law signed by President Obama.
