I have some mansplaining to do

Women are watching: Candidates must put our issues front and center

Earlier this month, the qualifying candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination gathered in Florida to take the debate stage for the first time. The lineup included several female participants, a landmark in our nation’s history. Throughout the night, the presidential hopefuls attempted to distinguish themselves for a national audience, wading through more than two dozen contenders.
As we saw in both debates, there is no shortage of crises, both foreign and domestic, for candidates to spotlight, but all candidates would do well to commit to prioritizing the needs and concerns of women — in particular women of color — who have proved over the last two years that they are a political force.
From the Women’s March to #MeToo and a historic midterm election that swept in the most diverse, female Congress in history, women are making their voices heard, claiming their power, running for office in record numbers, and electing candidates who reflect their experiences and their values.
Presidential candidates have taken note, putting forth proposals to provide child care, eliminate the wage gap, establish a national paid family and medical leave program, address the maternal health crisis and protect women’s access to reproductive health care. Some of these proposals were discussed during the debates, but often in the context of being prompted by the moderators.

Debra Ness rarely leaves home, evidently, because there are some human issues that come first. Women's issues are a bit left an behind, rather than front and center.  Let me list a few higher priority items:

• 1) Congress going broke
• 2) NRA nuts massacring our children
• 3) Growing food
• 4) a 100,000 homeless in LA waiting for drug treatment.
• 5) Kushner getting us into a trillion dollar Middle East mess
• 6) Kamala packing our children into cattle cars