By 9to5 Action Network member Judy Belanger
Pawtucket, RI
Originally posted on October 26, 2014 in the Providence Journal

Some people don’t vote because they don’t care or they’ve given up.

I know what I care about, because I know myself. Rule number one: Don’t give up on yourself.

As a member of 9 to 5, the National Association of Working Women, I care about the well-being of women, about equal pay for equal work, about family-supporting jobs and jobs that pay a living wage.

I care about ending poverty. I care about public assistance programs that emphasize education and training. I care about opportunity. I care that women and people of color are still underrepresented in fields such as engineering and the sciences, law enforcement, corporate leadership, skilled trades. I want women to be treated fairly and not be discriminated against, and that violence against them is no longer a free-for-all.

Know who you are and what’s in your best interests, then vote for the candidates who will work for you. Together, women are a force that can’t be ignored. They can reverse the tides of discrimination and hate.

Judy Belanger