• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

3

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

3

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
MPWMost Powerful Women

President Obama Wrote an Essay About Feminism—and It’s So Spot On

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2016, 3:42 PM ET
TNT Christmas In Washington 2014
Photograph by Theo Wargo—WireImage
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In case you had any lingering doubts: President Obama is a feminist.

The Commander-in-Chief, who has been a champion for women’s rights throughout his time in the Oval Office, wrote an editorial about feminism that was published in Glamour on Thursday.

The piece is an optimistic one, with the President enumerating the progress women in the U.S. have made during his tenure— and his lifetime. He writes:

In my lifetime we’ve gone from a job market that basically confined women to a handful of often poorly paid positions to a moment when women not only make up roughly half the workforce but are leading in every sector, from sports to space, from Hollywood to the Supreme Court. I’ve witnessed how women have won the freedom to make your own choices about how you’ll live your lives—about your bodies, your educations, your careers, your finances. Gone are the days when you needed a husband to get a credit card. In fact, more women than ever, married or single, are financially independent.

However, Obama is the first to admit that women still have a long way to go, and that American culture “teaches men to feel threatened by the presence and success of women,” something he says he has become increasingly aware of as the father of two daughters. Even though, having been raised by a single mother and grandmother, the President says he felt attuned to the struggles of women, raising Sasha and Malia has given him an entirely new understanding of gender stereotypes.

“You see the subtle and not-so-subtle social cues transmitted through culture,” he writes. “You feel the enormous pressure girls are under to look and behave and even think a certain way.”

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

Forty-four goes on to list what we need to change about our culture in order for women to truly be equal to men:

We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs.

And the onus isn’t just on women, he writes. “It is absolutely men’s responsibility to fight sexism too.”

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in MPW


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.