A Brief Biography Of Hillary Rodham Clinton

Considering Hillary Rodham Clinton’s upbringing in the 1950’s suburban and very conservative town of Park Ridge, Illinois, it is difficult to imagine that it could have been such an influencing factor in her future liberal political identity. (Caroli 2014). Clinton came from a middle class family that valued hard work and self-reliance. Her father, Hugh Rodham was seen as a controversial, although influential figure in her life. As a strict Republican, Rodham was staunch in his values and was a dominant patriarch. While described by Clinton as ‘critical’ and ‘pretty tough’ (Clinton 2003: 19), Hugh was also regarded as an oppressive father who rarely showed affection or approval to his children. However, Rodham did believe that all his children would not be limited in opportunity or skill, especially Hillary, just because she was a girl. Regardless of his old-fashioned values Rodham pushed Hillary to achieve. Growing up among household chores, summer jobs and vacations spent visiting coal miners. Hillary’s future ability to identify with the working-class would be attributed to Rodham. (Bernstein 2007: 21).

In contrast to the effect of her father, Dorothy Rodham was a quiet Democrat, which led to Hillary feeling torn between the dissimilarity of her parents’ advice and beliefs. Dorothy is considered to be the earliest and most dominant factor in her future interests in human rights, women and children in particular. Dorothy condemned the ‘mistreatment of any human being…and those disadvantaged and discriminated against from birth’ (Clinton 2003: 18). Being raised in a generation where she had narrow choices unlike her daughter, Dorothy encouraged Hillary to never hesitate in speaking her mind or following her goals. Dorothy wanted...

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...y was an ambassador for global women’s issues, calling for them to take a larger political and economic role and condeming human right’s violations such as sex-trafficking and abuse. (Kamp 2013). ‘The Hillary Effect’ allowed for female empowerment, and has been expected to ‘achieve 50% female political representaion by 2050’. (Horansky 2012). Hillary also launched the Global Hunger and Food Security Programme and worked with the United Nations to fight world hunger and poverty, ‘a threat to the stability of governments and societies.’ (Clinton 2009). Overall Hillary ensured $832 million for global development projects. (Lemmon 2011). As a former First Lady and Senator, Hillary’s fame allowed her ‘raise issues on a global agenda that no one before her has been able to do’, and ended her tenure with respect and postive regard by the international community.* 281