IWF defends giving Mike Pence “Working for Women” Award

When Playboy, Teen Vogue, New York Magazine, Mic, Vice, Raw Story, and Jezebel all attack you — you must be doing something right.

Left-wing magazines loved that Chelsea Clinton is a “Lifetime Impact” honoree for doing literally nothing. However, they are piling on the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) for giving Vice President Mike Pence the “Working for Women” Award. He is set to get the award on Wednesday evening at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.

Some of the attacks are funny. Playboy said the situation is like “an actual episode of Parks and Recreation in which Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, is passed over as her city’s ‘Woman of the Year’ in favor of her boss, Ron Swanson, a man.” Other attacks were angrier.

Jezebel called Pence, “a prolapsed anus in a hairpiece.” Raw Story said he “opposes the personal liberty of women.” NY Mag said he was “crusading against abortion rights.” Vice‘s headline read, “After Years of Undermining Women, Pence Will Receive ‘Working for Women’ Award.”

These articles cannot imagine why an organization would give an award to someone who isn’t liberal on what are perceived as “women’s issues.” Of course, IWF was the first to say “all issues are women’s issues.” That’s their point as an organization — fighting for women’s empowerment in all areas of governance.

Sabrina Schaffer, the Executive Director of IWF, sent Red Alert the following statement responding to these attacks:

For 25 years, the Independent Women’s Forum has responded to the progressive feminist narrative that women are a victim class in need of constant government protection. But what’s often left out of the conversation is how government’s heavy hand can have a negative effect on women’s progress and success.

IWF understands that there are women and their families who face challenges, which is why we produced our Working for Women report last year — which offers sensible policy reforms without growing government’s influence – and why we work tirelessly with lawmakers, policy experts, and the public to promote these ideas.

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate and recognize women’s progress. America’s history as a land of opportunity has been crucial to women’s advancement — our dynamic, market-based economic system has helped ensure that women ?prosper and continue to break down barriers. And we want women?’s progress? to continue? so they can choose their path to success and happiness. ? 

?IWF created the “Working for Women Award” to recognize public figures who have been consistent champions of the economic reforms that women need most: from reducing? burdensome? regulations to providing tax relief ?for? workers and families ?to promoting educational freedom.

IWF decided to recognize ?Vice President? Mike? Pence because of his long commitment to advocating for limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility ??including rolling back heavy taxation and? regulation?, which will ultimately enable economic growth and human flourishing, and which is in line with IWF’s own mission statement.

For more on Vice President Pence’s record of working for women, please click here.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Editor’s wife works for IWF.