http://time.com/5107499/record-number-of-women-are-running-for-office/
This article written by Time on January 18th, Highlights the record breaking number of women running for office in 2018. One way to look at it is in how many people have contacted Emily’s List, an organization that focuses on helping women run for political office.Between 2015-2016 that number was around 900, and since Trump was elected that number has reached 26,000.
This sudden surge in activism in politics, the new faces it brings and the possibility of the legislation that could be passed with larger amounts of women in office excites me.The article mentions several countries that have large percentages of women in office and pointed to how these countries (Iceland, Finland and Sweden) have passed legislation that goes from aiding childcare to demanding proof of equal pay from employers. At one point a congresswoman speculates on what it would be like if more than half of congress were women and says “Do you think we’d be fighting for access to birth control?”.
Women in office also tend to be more likely to focus on bi-partisanship and that is something that our ever-more politically divided country needs, compromise that ignores party lines and allows for the betterment of the america people. The time has come for women to take over elected positions in this country, both big and small, for the betterment of the nation.
In my opinion, there could be nothing greater for our government than a 50/50 split by gender. I just hope that this isn’t a passing surge of women running for office like the election cycle after Anita Hill and I hope that women continue to decide to run in similar,if not increasing numbers. And if this article is correct, this movement of women running for office could be 600% more powerful than the tea party at its peak with chapters of the group called indivisible in every congressional district. The election of large bodies of women to office would allow a new crop of role models for young girls to look up to, which as sociologist, we know is valuable to the future, and in how women will be able to possibly see individuals like themselves hold more power in the halls of our country’s government inspiring other to run as well.
Because, why not:
“People say satire is dead. It’s not dead; it’s alive and living in the White House”
– Robin Williams
Justin Vieira