Women voices improve government

By a vote of 53-47, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th justice of the U.S Supreme Court. She will also become the first Black woman to serve on the court.

Before this, out of the other 115 justices who have served on the court, only five have been women, three of whom are currently serving: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett.

In November 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris became the first Black American, first Indian American and first woman elected vice president of the United States.

Ilhan Omar is the first Somali American in the United States Congress.

These are just a few of the women who have paved the way for women representation in political spaces that have for a while been occupied by men.

It is essential that women are able to take up space especially in places where decisions concerning women’s rights are discussed. Legislative issues like reproductive rights are being made by men when these issues and laws do not apply to them.

Women are underrepresented in decision-making positions worldwide. Representative Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress and was the one to push for the 19th Amendment to be passed which gave women the right to vote.

One hundred years later, women are still underrepresented in places where decisions are being made. Although women make up half of the population, they still make up such a small fraction in these positions in government and policy making.

According to the Interparliamentary Union, in the month of March, the U.S. ranked 73rd for women representation in national parliaments, making up 29% of the seats.

Women’s representation is essential to ensure that democracy functions as effectively as possible. Coming from all sorts of different backgrounds, women can bring in new ideas and experiences to the table and have them be represented in political institutions. It allows for advancements in policies that would otherwise only be represented by 50% of the population.

Women’s participation in politics and holding seats in places like Congress not only helps advance gender equality but also policies that specifically concern women and other marginalized voters.

There is strong evidence that shows having women hold these positions in government helps improve policy change. There is correlation to the positive impact on communities, legislature, lives of constituents and democracy when having a more representative and diverse government.

Growing up and being able to see women leaders like Ketanji Brown Jackson and Ilhan Omar hold positions in government gives a sense of confidence for younger girls to be able to see themselves hold positions of power, to be able to feel represented and seen and to feel capable that they too can hold a place in making decisions that will affect them.

The participation of women in legislatures is not just a goal, but essential to building and sustaining democracies.

The equal presence of women in these positions is important to ensure a better and more representative democracy, and it is crucial to recognize the positive impact of women in politics. This is not to say that women should do all the work, but that their presence is needed in these spaces.