With our new Democratic Presidential Candidate being Vice President Kamala Harris, the people of the US have had quite a bit of concern.
Historically, women have not had the easiest time when it comes to politics, with only getting the right to vote a little over one hundred years ago, having our second major party candidate that is a woman is a pivotal event for the future of female politicians.
The history of female leaders
In many other countries, there are often female leaders. For example, countries like Switzerland, Barbados, Iceland, New Zealand, and Norway have all had female leaders serve and be very successful.
For instance, In Barbados, the serving head of state and President is female. Sandra Mason is the first President of Barbados and was elected by both houses without any opposition.
This proves that not only is it possible for a woman to be in a leadership position, but they are fully capable of doing their jobs well, contrary to the popular belief that they cannot do so.
In an article about why women leadership positions are more needed, forbes.com stated “Women bring distinct qualities that significantly enhance organizational success. They approach leadership with a heightened capacity for empathy, connection-building, and inclusiveness, according to years of research on female executives. These traits emphasize the contributions they make as leaders.”
Why is having a female leader an issue for the US?
The true reason why America has not been elected a female President is rooted in sexism. Women face so many stereotypes of them being too “weak” and “emotional” to run the country, and while women can freely express their emotions better than most men can, this does not make them unqualified for the role of President.
When asked if America was ready for a female President, 10th grader Nyla Clinton said no. She later explained that it’s not because a woman can’t do the job but because the country itself isn’t ready. She stated, “I don’t feel America is ready for a female President because of the backlash that happened with Hillary” and “I feel like there is a lot of sexism in America still going on regardless of feminism and those other movements.”
Another big factor that plays into a woman running for such a powerful position is the lack of support that they receive. Women are a lot less likely to be encouraged to even try to get an important role in government, and when they do, they are constantly dragged down by the media and their components.
For example, an article from centerforpolitics.org stated “Not only do women have to contend with obstacles in media coverage, numerous studies have shown that women and other historically minoritized candidates and politicians are significantly more likely to face abuse, harassment, and attacks online than their male counterparts. Women candidates of color are twice as likely as other candidates to be targeted with or the subject of misinformation and disinformation and the most likely to be the target of sexist, racist, and violent abuse online.”
How did Kamala become the Democratic nominee?
During a Presidential debate on June 27, 2024, President Biden’s performance left much concern for many voters. This led to him quickly announcing that he would be dropping out of the Presidential race.
While there were many candidates that voters thought could be the one to fill Bidens spot, the most obvious choice was Vice President Kamla Harris. As she has worked with the President for four years, she knows how to do the job better than anyone.
With the news of Harris being the new candidate, there have been a lot of mix reactions. Apnews.com states “about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.”
It’s not just the Democrats that are in favor of Harris winning the upcoming election. A good majority of Republicans are supporting and endorsing Harris as well. Usatoday.com states “Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan surprisingly spoke at the Democratic National Convention last week to tell Republicans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.” Geoff Duncan himself said “”These days our party acts more like a cult,” Duncan said, “a cult worshiping a felonious thug.”
While Harris plans to continue what President Biden has done during his time in office, she also has some of her own key points that she wants to achieve if she wins. One of her main goals is to help the war that is currently going on between Israel and Palestine. A few examples of other points that she will be heavily focusing on are tax plans, abortion laws, inflation, IVF, and immigration.
In a CNN article, Harris stated “In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she told members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta at an event in Indianapolis in late July. “And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”
Would Kamala Harris be a good President?
Overall, Kamala Harris is a great candidate for President. She is young, confident, engaged, and willing to work for her country truly. She is not only a woman, but she is also multicultural. This is so important because representation is everything, and unfortunately, there isn’t much of it in politics.
When asked if America was ready for a female president, 10th grader Donny Vo stated, “Of course, America is ready for a female President.” He then goes on to explain how he thinks it is time for a woman of color to have the position of President. He also said, “These politicians can’t do anything but think for themselves, for the one billion dollars that they make.” and “A woman will fight for a woman, and that is exactly what we need.”
