Issue date: 3/24/05 Section: Opinion

Rylie Deyoe - The Battalion

During his first term in office, President George W. Bush faced a series of critical national security issues, most notably the murder of more than 3000 American civilians. But modern politics demand that in addition to keeping Americans safe, Bush should attempt to balance the demands of a plethora of special interest groups. Recently, he has been unfairly accused of failing to live up to his rhetoric concerning women's issues.

Bush's domestic appointments demonstrate his commitment to hiring the best person for a job, regardless of gender. Calvin Mackenzie, a member of the Brookings Institution who has tracked political appointee data since the Eisenhower administration, said "if you look at how much 'face time' women advisers get with the president on a daily basis, then Bush can arguably claim the lead."

Bush has not intentionally sought out female appointees for the sake of political expediency but instead has welcomed well-qualified women as a matter of course. In so doing, he has set a healthy precedent for true gender equality in which men and women are judged by an identical criterion - they are expected to do their jobs well. As a result of this attitude, Bush has placed an unprecedented number of women in top advisory positions, including five in cabinet-level positions.

Bush also has a distinguished record in Iraq and Afghanistan, where his administration has sought reforms that advance equal rights for women. Before the Bush administration, neither country offered women even the most basic human rights. Rapes and murders were common, and in most places women were not allowed to educate themselves or take employment. Clearly, there is still much work to be done to overcome the longstanding culture that fostered such atrocities, and women have a long way to go before their rights in either country will resemble those that women have in America. However, by introducing democratic principles, the Bush administration has laid a foundation for gender equality. Both countries now have new constitutions that guarantee women the right to vote and equality under the law. In Afghanistan, women constituted 40 percent of the voters in the general election, and in Iraq, 31 percent of the newly elected National Council members are women. Although not a total victory, these recent political developments initiated by the Bush administration constitute a vital first step on the road to gender equality.

But for Bush's critics, these developments are not enough. They want instantaneous equality gift-wrapped by the United States and delivered to the women of Iraq and Afghanistan. But this is impossible for several reasons. First, the Bush administration cannot demand that either country adopt any specific law without violating its promise that Iraq and Afghanistan are to be independent nations, not tied to the United States.

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