opinion

Women's rights secured on Election Day

As Barack Obama pulled through last night's election with a majority of the electoral votes, I finally found myself breathing a sigh of relief after a tizzy of an election season.

Finally, the swarm of political Facebook rants will halt, scathing presidential ads will disappear, silly talk of binders or Big Bird will fade, and Americans will live slightly more at ease.

Moreover, the majority of my relief rests in the fact that women's rights and health care will remain intact.

I, not the government and not a man, will maintain control over my own body and continue to dictate what choices are best for my health.

Yes, there was obviously more at stake during this presidential election than Obamacare and women's rights.

Things like, oh, the economy that is in peril and jobs and whatnot still remain crucial aspects that Obama now needs to manage during his next four years in office.

Though, with the economy and job rates slowly on the rise since the onset of fall, America seems to be on the upswing and slowly, but surely, recovering from the recession.

However, the fact that Obama is a leader who respects women and the basic human right to health coverage remains important, perhaps more so than some Americans have acknowledged in this year's past election season.

The fact that we had a man running for the president of the United States who boldly and blatantly claimed he would cut government costs by eliminating Planned Parenthood funding and repeatedly supported other Republican candidates who made boisterous claims about rape was enough to spark fear within my stomach.

"The actions I'll take immediately are to remove funding for Planned Parenthood," Romney told voters. "It will not be part of my budget."

After weeks of polls showing Obama and Romney neck-and-neck despite gender-oppressive conservative commentary, I stared blankly in disbelief.

But each time my hope for gender equality faltered, Obama and Americans nationwide spoke out in defiance.

"Are we going to allow ourselves to go back to a time when politicians in Washington are telling women how to make health care decisions?," Obama asked.

Well, we did not allow politicians to enter positions in which they could regulate women's bodies, and that is beyond a joyous feeling.

What does Obama being re-elected for another term mean for women's health care in the future now?

It means that women will remain in control of our bodies and reproductive rights.

It means that while not all things are perfect in the realm of gender equality, we are continuing to make progress in America.

Re-electing Obama means that we have avoided a massive step backwards in not only gender issues, but in moral issues.

Workplaces are still not required by law to provide equal pay for women and men, but we now have secured a president in office who supports making it a reality.

"But equal pay is by no means just a women's issue — it's a family issue," Obama said.

It is also relieving to know that Obamacare, which provides affordable health care to Americans, is still safely intact and not on the chopping block.

Every presidential election brings a mix of hope, upset and uncertainty. Despite whether or not you're feeling hope or disappointment today, it remains unclear what our future holds.

There's no way to have a glimpse of what the next four years will look like, and there's no way to know if women's rights will have improved by 2016.

However, I'm hopeful for our nation's future and I'm confident in President Obama's leadership.