Story highlights Obama hailed Hillary Clinton as the first female presumptive nominee of a major U.S. political party

Obama hadn't previously spoken publicly about his former secretary of state's rise to the top of the Democratic Party

Washington (CNN) President Barack Obama may have canceled his first campaign appearance with Hillary Clinton, but he's not avoiding touting her history-making campaign.

Speaking at a White House-sponsored forum on women's issues Tuesday, Obama hailed Clinton as the first female presumptive nominee of a major U.S. political party, proclaiming she had "raised the expectations of our sons and daughters of what is possible."

And he declared himself an unabashed promoter of women's rights.

"I may be a little grayer than I was eight years ago, but this is what a feminist looks like," he said.

Citing his own children, Obama said the country's younger generation rarely feels hampered by their gender, even as inequalities such as a wage gap persist.

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