In conversation with women's activism group Supermajority cofounder Cecile Richards, former South Bend, IN, mayor Pete Buttigieg listed the three things women could expect from him and hold him accountable for if he became president. They are: helping close the gender pay gap, political empowerment (he has committed to a cabinet of 50% women), and supporting and defending a woman's right to choose.
The talk was part of a series of interviews with all of the major presidential candidates, in which Refinery29 and Supermajority asked questions sent from women across the country. Because despite the fact that women are the majority of voters, subjects like reproductive rights and paid family leave have yet to see their limelight on the Democratic debate stage — and this is one way to change the conversation.
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Buttigieg also made his case for why he believes he should be president: "For those of us around the country who maybe don't see where we fit if the only options are revolution or status quo, I'm offering something else: the kind of change that we need as a country, big, meaningful, bold, progressive change, but also a way to do it, build on a sense of belonging, on empowerment for everybody."
Like the other candidates, Richards asked him what living woman he'd have dinner with if he could and he, without hesitation, answered Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "somebody who shaped the rights of so many in this country, a path-breaking woman."
Watch the video to learn how Buttigieg's identity as a gay man has shaped his presidential campaign, his advice to his 18-year-old self, and more.