In an interview with Lithuanian National TV, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Eleanor Roosevelt for forcing newspapers to hire more women, but said the same tactics were not necessary now.
Here’s Clinton’s exchange with Rita Miliute:
QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt only allowed female reporters to her press conferences, forcing – so editors to hire women. Do such methods – should be taken in our days for similar reasons, for – strengthen positions of women?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that’s a very interesting question. Eleanor Roosevelt is someone whom I admire greatly, and because she would only be interviewed by women reporters, she forced newspapers to hire more women. I think that that is probably not necessary in today’s world because you’re sitting there and I am frequently interviewed by very able women reporters. But I do think that focusing on women’s rights and equality for women remains a very big issue for the world today.
Clinton was also asked which decision was more difficult — preserving her marriage or running for senator. Her answer: Becoming President Obama’s Secretary of State was hard, too.
“They’re both difficult. Running for the Senate was a hard decision. Accepting President Obama’s offer to be Secretary of State was a hard decision. Everybody faces hard decisions in their life, and you do the best you can, and hopefully things work out.”
