Hillary blames sexism for loss

DOUBLE STANDARDS: ‘MEN JUDGED LESS HARSHLY’

We need to get more women into politics, says woman who lost to Trump.

Cheltenham

Former US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton blamed her 2016 election loss to Donald Trump on sexism and the “double standards” women are held to in public life, during a promotional tour for her new memoir launched in Britain yesterday.

Clinton said women were held to “maddening” double standards and she encouraged her supporters to get organised to affect change in society.

“The only way we’ll get sexism out of politics is to get many more women into politics,” she said to rapturous applause while promoting her book, What Happened.

Women were more heavily judged and criticised due to sexism – from their physical appearance to their beliefs – and generally disliked in positions of power rather than in supporting roles, she told the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

The book fair in southwest England, established in 1949, is thought to be the oldest literature festival in the world.

The former first lady said her political loss had left her stunned and she admitted at times it was hard to get out of bed. But long walks in the woods, reading mystery novels, playing with her dogs and yoga helped her to deal with her “grief”.

“Everybody gets knocked down. What matters, obviously, is whether you get yourself back up and keep going,” she told an audience of thousands.

“As a person I’m okay, as an American I’m worried,” she said, citing Trump’s interactions with North Korea and withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement as causes for concern.

Clinton admitted she struggled to attend Trump’s presidential inauguration in January but was supported by her husband, former president Bill Clinton. “My husband read every page of the book, gave me great editorial suggestions and said it was critically important to get it out,” she said.

Clinton, 69, urged her female supporters to get organised and encouraged them to sign up to her new platform “Onward Together”, which promotes engagement and trains young leaders to run for political office. – Reuters