By Hirah Siddiqui
It’s a big question looming over this presidential election and has been in the news since Hillary Clinton lost in 2016.That year, the world believed America was on the brink of making history by electing its first female president, but it couldn’t. And today, when the world was predicting Kamala Harris’s victory in the 2024 elections, Americans again rejected a woman as their commander-in-chief. Yes, you heard that correctly, the country that proudly claims to be a champion of women’s empowerment has never elected a woman to lead the nation in its 248 years of independence.
For women in the US, becoming president was almost unimaginable, especially when they didn’t even have the right to vote until 1920. After 72 years of relentless struggle, women in the US finally achieved a monumental victory by ratifying the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, which granted them the right to vote. How would they allow women to lead such a massive superpower when even granting them the right to vote was met with so much resistance?
Nearly ten decades later, in 2016, a groundbreaking moment came to pass when a woman was finally nominated as the presidential candidate by one of the country’s major political parties. But when Clinton lost, it became clear that, despite a century-long struggle for women’s equal roles in politics, America still needed more time to be ready for a female head of state, and it still needs to be.
There’s no doubt that sexism played a part in Clinton’s defeat, but it’s also believed that she struggled to counter her opponent’s vicious attacks effectively.
In contrast, this year, when Harris was competing in the presidential race with the same narcissistic adversary, Donald Trump, the world believed she dealt him with a refreshing sense of positivity.
For instance, when Trump resorts to trashing Harris, she doesn’t engage in the mudslinging; instead, she responds with a simple, powerful remark: “This is who he is.” Harris considered this approach of staying positive a winning strategy; however, this didn’t work out for her either.
Harris had everything it takes to break through the glass ceiling, as she achieved a historic milestone in 2020 by becoming the first female vice president of the US after more than a century of fighting against subtle misogyny.
This was a breakthrough that even trailblazers like Clinton and leaders from the suffrage movement couldn’t accomplish. With Harris’s ascension to VP, history was made: the US, which has long struggled to represent women in Congress fully, elected a Black woman as its VP. Since her inauguration, significant changes have taken place.
Today, women make up over 28% of the 118th Congress, the highest percentage ever recorded in US history. This is a remarkable jump compared to just ten years ago! Harris’s ambition and potential propelled her into the national spotlight as the first Black female presidential nominee in just four years.
When Joe Biden chose to step aside from the 2024 election, Democrats quickly rallied behind Harris, selecting her as their nominee within minutes. Despite all this, America was not ready to accept her as its president.
However, I believe the result of this election was evident though all the experts, observers, and pundits were in favour of Harris, her victory was far from reality as she wasn’t only fighting the deeply ingrained sexism in American politics but racism as well.
The US, the world’s most powerful nation, lags in women’s empowerment and gender equality in politics. Women leaders around the globe have made rapid strides, while American women are still taking their first steps toward true political equality.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, the US ranks a disappointing 43rd out of 146 countries. Though the US has made significant progress since the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote over a century ago, it’s clear that other nations are advancing much faster.
The picture reflects Ms.Khertek Anchimaa Toka the Head of the parliament of the Tuvan Peoples Republic. — X/@MissPavIichenko
The picture reflects Ms.Khertek Anchimaa Toka the Head of the parliament of the Tuvan People’s Republic. — X/@MissPavIichenko
Today, the US is notably absent from the ‘Council of Women World Leaders’, a network of 90 current and former female heads of state, highlighting America’s struggle to keep pace with global progress on this front.
Women around the globe have been accepted as leaders for ages now; their involvement in political leadership dates back to the 1940s, with the first woman to lead a country as head of parliament being Khertek Anchimaa Toka of the Tuvan People’s Republic.
Elected as the Chair of the Presidium in 1940, Anchimaa held the position until 1944, when the Soviet Union annexed the Tuvan Republic. Given Tuvan’s small size and limited global visibility, it wasn’t until 1960, when Srimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) rose to power, that women’s political leadership truly captured the world’s attention.
As the world’s first female prime minister, Srimavo shattered the glass ceiling, paving the way for many other women to follow. Just six years later, Indira Gandhi became the prime minister of India, the world’s largest democracy.
Image reflects the worlds first female prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. — Modern Diplomacy/File
Image reflects the world’s first female prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. — Modern Diplomacy/File
Israel’s first and only female prime minister, Golda Meir, soon joined this historic list, and the trailblazing women leaders continued to expand. Even the United Kingdom welcomed Margaret Thatcher as its first female prime minister in 1979; she wasn’t the only one. Later, Theresa May and Liz Truss also followed in her footsteps.
In 1988, Benazir Bhutto broke yet another barrier by becoming the first female prime minister in the Muslim world, earning global recognition for her achievement. Today, around 174 women from 87 countries have led their countries as head, with the latest addition being Claudia Sheinbaum, who just got elected as the president of Mexico.
Late Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto addressing a public rally. — Reuters/File
Late Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto addressing a public rally. — Reuters/File
As the world evolved, many countries introduced quota systems to enhance women’s chances of political leadership. Through these systems, women are given designated seats in parliament to help them build their political experience and influence.
Pakistan is one such country that, in addition to providing equal opportunities for women to run in elections, has reserved seats specifically for women in its parliament. In contrast, the United States has no such quota system. Instead, it expects women to prove their capability to lead a superpower on their strength.
Today, after Harris’s defeat, the question remains: How can women prove their mettle when they’re never given the chance? How can they demonstrate their capabilities when a sexist society continues to hold them back? Will American society ever become truly tolerant and accepting? These are among the many unanswered questions that can only be addressed when history is made. For now, we wait for the moment when, as Martin Luther King Jr believed, the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice.
Nevertheless, the encouraging news is that women globally are making significant strides in attaining top leadership positions. This momentum will continue and become sustainable as more women recognise that such achievements are possible and desirable, but not for American women.
