Most of of the world subscribes to the 30% benchmark adopted by the U.N. for electing women -- signaling significant progress in both empowering women and gender-balanced policy/legislation. So far 27 countries have surpassed 30% and 7 have leapt into the 40-60% "parity zone." Meanwhile, U.S. women went backwards in 2010 for the first time since 1979, electing one less woman to Congress.

Hard to grasp that women are still second class citizens in the self-described "world's greatest democracy." No equal rights and a measly 16.8% of seats in Congress 236 years after independence from the British Empire. That's how far we've fallen, barely half way to 30%!

(The U.S. is 71st in the world for electing women -- tied with Turkmenistan! -- or 90th on the list when you count all the ties. More info on that situation HERE.)

U.N. Women was recently created to advance women worldwide and address inequities/related issues. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is in charge, bolstered elegantly and fiercely by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- who famously said in 1995 that "Women's rights are human rights."

Indeed, Hillary Clinton is an amazing woman and hero to many at home and abroad. Her efforts to liberate women worldwide are amazing in scope and determination, "reach out to the new emerging democracies and societies, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa" (in her own words, most recently):

That's nice, but what about us? 

Why do U.S. women feel so strongly about helping women in Third World countries regarding women's rights or election of women, while staying mostly silent about the lack of equal rights for women under the U.S. Constitution in their own backyard. Not to mention the gross under-representation of women in the U.S. Congress -- where so many critical decisions are made on issues like healthcare, Social Security, financial regulation, campaign financing, war & peace, energy, etc.

Can someone explain this to me?