It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Hillary Clinton, and in her first statement since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the former Democratic presidential nominee proved she’s not finished advocating for one of her campaign’s core issues: improving the rights of women and girls everywhere. “Despite all the challenges we face, I remain convinced that, yes, the future is female,” she says in a new video, citing the energy that surrounded the historic women’s marches that brought together about 3 million people across the globe. Hillary’s message came in support of the 2017 Makers Conference in California to champion female leaders and inspire young women, and she couldn’t have been more on-point with the conference’s theme this year: #BeBold.
“We need strong women to step up and speak out,” she said. “We need you to dare greatly and lead boldly. So, please, set an example for every woman and girl out there who’s worried about what the future holds and wonders whether our rights, opportunities and values will endure.”
Gender politics represented a significant chunk of this election, with Hillary becoming the first woman to receive the nomination for a major political party in the US. Although she won the popular vote, Trump ultimately sealed the presidency despite allegations of sexual misconduct that were revealed in the late stages of his campaign. Since then, Hillary has remained relatively out of the spotlight.
“Remember you are the heroes and history-makers, the glass-ceiling breakers of the future,” she added. “As I’ve said before, I’ll say again: Never doubt you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and every opportunity in the world.”
Watch her full statement below.
