“I’m not going to mislead anybody. Politics is really hard. And it is harder for women. There’s a double standard, and you can’t complain about it. You just have to accept it, and be smart enough to navigate it. And you have to have a pretty tough skin. To paraphrase a favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: If a woman wants to be in politics, she has to have the skin of a rhinoceros. Most men who go into politics just think they’re great. They believe they can do anything. Most young women, not only in politics but in most areas, are more cautious and more likely to say, ‘Could I really do this? Am I good enough?’ I was talking to a friend and very successful businessman the other day, and he said, ‘The thing that still annoys me more than anything is that I see all these young women who are so much more capable than they allow themselves to believe. And I see so many young men who are so much less capable but who believe they are God’s gift to the world.’ I would just say to women: Try it! Put your foot in the pond and see if you want to swim.”
—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a Glamour reporter along while traveling in Africa and trying to empower women through the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. I admire Clinton for what she’s accomplished and for her realistic outlook on how women should get ahead. Here, she is echoing Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, who implored young women to think they’re as awesome as young men do. You’re God’s gift to the world, too, ladies! [Glamour] Keep reading »
