Women and politics

I found fascinating the fact that, even in San Francisco, the most liberal, diverse, open to everything (except conservatism and religion) city in the whole US (except for Berkeley), women are not making headway in politics:

In a year when gender has played a significant role in the presidential campaign – 18 million people voted for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the Republican base is enthused by Gov. Sarah Palin – women in San Francisco politics aren’t gaining nearly as much traction.

In fact, they have been losing ground for decades in this famously open-minded, diverse city. In the 1980s and 1990s, several configurations of the 11-member Board of Supervisors had female majorities of six or seven members. Now, the board has three.

It doesn’t seem to occur to anyone that the fault, Dear Brutus, might not lie with the voters, but may lie with the women — or, to be more accurate, with the children.  In my neighborhood, all of the women started out in their 20s as high achieving professionals.  With children, all of those who don’t have to work have stopped.  And all of those who do have to work try to keep it part-time.

I believe all opportunities should be available to woman.  (That would be the famous equality of opportunity that true feminists desire.)  However, it’s worth noting that all women may not wish to take advantage of those opportunities.  (Putting the lie to the Leftist belief that government can force equality of outcome, that which NOW feminists desire.)