HuffPost's Candidate Confessional: Michele Bachmann On The Sexist Crap Hillary Clinton Has To Endure

Last week, HuffPost' Senior Politics Editor Sam Stein and Investigative Reporter Jason Cherkis launched "Candidate Confessional" a one-of-a-kind podcast interviewing those who ran for political office...and lost. 

In this week's episode former Rep. Michele Bachmann details the challenges posed by her gender during her whirlwind run for the White House in 2012. Her experience gave her an unexpectedly empathetic take on Hillary Clinton's current presidential campaign. Despite their diametrically different politics, as Bachmann put it, "I really do have great empathy for what Mrs. Clinton is going through, because the hill that she has to climb on -- appearance -- it's just a different hill than men have to climb. I'm not whining about it. It's just reality. It is what it is."

To hear more from Bachmann about the sexism female politicians face check out "Candidate Confessional" here

U.S. Department of State's TechWomen Initiative Now Accepting Applications for American Mentors

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 The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that TechWomen – an international exchange that uses technology as a means to empower women and girls worldwide – is now accepting applications from American women in the technology sector to serve as professional and cultural mentors. Candidates may apply here.

In September 2012, these American “TechWomen” will mentor 42 women from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, and Yemen during a five-week program at U.S.-based technology companies in Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Click here to learn more about serving as a TechWomen mentor.

Following the U.S. portion of the exchange, U.S. mentors will travel to Jordan and Tunisia to conduct workshops and follow-on training for women in the technology sector and young girls who have expressed an interest in pursuing a tech-based career.

Launched by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2011, TechWomen builds on her vision of “smart power” diplomacy. It embraces the full range of diplomatic tools, in this case technology, to bring people together for greater understanding and empower women and girls worldwide.

The U.S. Department of State partners with the Institute of International Education and the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. It is a public-private partnership in which more than 20 leading U.S. companies participated by hosting international TechWomen during the 2011 inaugural program.

Stay tuned for updates on Twitter @TechWomen.

Related articles

• Secretary Clinton Praises the Work of the Local Advisory Boards for the U.S. in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria (moroccotomorrow.org)
• U.S. Department of State Kicks-Off "Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports (moroccotomorrow.org)
• Anita Borg Institute Releases New Report on Hiring Practices to Help Companies Compete in the Global War for Technical Talent - MarketWatch (jobmarketmonitor.com)