Shattering Glass Ceilings: The Rise of Female Presidential Candidates in USA.

The idea of a female president has long been seen as a barrier that needs to be broken in order to achieve true gender equality in politics. Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, there are still many obstacles standing in the way of a woman reaching the highest office in the land.

I am Sharmin Prince, your host. And today I don't have a guest because there is something that I want to share with you and I want to do it solo. So I hope you're appreciative of that and you're not disappointed, but I'm sure you wouldn't be. I will try to make it entertaining. So thank you for joining and being a part of the ENYTing gender. Thank you for liking, sharing. and downoading. You can reach out to me through social media, through the eaglessoar.org, or wherever you choose. All the information is on our social media platforms or even YouTube. 

Think about this. What would it mean to have a woman lead the United States, a country that has long been a bastion of patriarchal norms? Today we're exploring this profound implication of electing a female president. I am excited and I'm gonna go out on a limb here by saying dismantle patriarchy. It may not be because patriarchy is old and deeply rooted in systems and policies, but even if it's not dismantled, it's going to be shaken. That's what we're talking about today, and forgive me, because I'm excited. We'll touch a little on historical context, the current landscape significance of a female president in these United States states of America,and how it challenges patriarchal system. We'll touch a little on the barriers and potential benefits, and then we will have a call to action.

 I could not have allowed this opportunity to pass, period. I have never volunteered for an election, but when President Biden announced it, I already volunteered because I want to be able to say I was a part of this historical moment in these United States. And I know that we have had so many women leaders in the political space in other parts of the world. We have global leaders. We have Margaret Thatcher, right. We have Angela Merkel in Germany, Jacinda Ardenne in New Zealand. They have paved the way for what is about to happen in the United States. In, I think it was 1968, the first black woman was elected to the US Congress, and her name was Shirley Chisholm. That was the very first time a black woman was accepted into the US Congress. And then in 1984, the US saw its first female vice president candidate, Geraldine Ferraro. We had Sarah Palin in 2008, she was the very first female republican vice presidential candidate. Then in 2016, we had Hillary Clinton running for president. In the 2024, we have the first female vice president who happens to be a woman of color and is now the presidential candidate. I have spoken to my godmother who is african american and she is in her seventies and excitement being exude from her. I think two days after the announcement, I joined a Facebook group of black women supporting Kamala Harris. And we were like 300,000 black women in this group. And it's magical. It's a phenomenon that is beyond description. The excitement that is in the atmosphere now, the significance of having a female president. It's a symbolic to know that young women can say, I want to be the president of the United States. Now. A little black girl in Mississippi or Alabama can say, I want to be the next president of the United States. And it lends power to the future of female leadership. The simple act of having a woman of color as the presidential candidate for these United States of America. Psychologists have found that seeing women in leadership can lead to increased ambitions among young girls. I'm going to repeat that. Psychologists have found that seeing women in leadership positions can lead to increased ambitions among young girls. Can you imagine what this is going to do to young women, especially those may not have role models in their families. They're seeing Kamala Harris. This is a major symbol for us who are advocates for gender equality and gender equity. This is signaling gender progress and equality. Thus, I am excited, and I'm sure other gender equality and gender equity advocates and activists are experiencing that same exuberance, euphoria, excitement. There will be policy shifts. Studies have been done in countries like Rwanda, Iceland and New Zealand which show that female leaders, prior to healthcare, education and social policies more heavily than their male counterparts. These female politician thinks that child care is important, reproductive rights are important, gender pay equity is important. Those are things that we have experienced. Therefore, it would be on the forefront of policies. There were other case studies that were done in other countries which showed that power shifts on the female leadership has changed the social structure of the country. I mean, can you just think of the influence this would have on other parts of the world, countries where the United States have influence? There will be major challenges and we cannot choose not to highlight it. The United States of America was founded on patriarchy. So the patriarchal system is endangered, grained in everything that is done. So there will be systemic obstacles. Gender bias in political campaigns and media, the double standards in leadership expectations and scrutiny because they have one expectation for Mendez and another for women. After Kamala Harris was named Joe Biden's successor, they began to dig skeletons up. That's a norm. Once you're in public space and you're running for public office. Yes, they're going to try to tarnish you because of the choices you made in the past, but usually they hardly do that. For Mendez to underscore that female politicians are often scrutinized more harshly for their appearance, their tone, their family lives, their male counterparts, their relationship. And we know it's bias. There are cultural stereotypes that are going to come into play because it's deeply ingrained into how we think, how we act. They're going to question her abilities because she's a woman. We will hear about the roles because we're moving away from. Women are supposed to be in the kitchen or at home being homemakers. Now we have a woman with the audacity to run for president of these United States. And there is a reason why I'm being emphatic and repetitive about these United States. Also, when we talk about cultural stereotypes, not the likability factor and electability issues that play prominent role in our culture, Kamala Harris is about to break barriers that Shirley Chisholm, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton were unable to even touch, I can guarantee you that there will be a surge in feminist movements because women are emboldened. We may see the me too movement having new life. There might be new educational and professional milestones for women. We are already on top with graduating in higher education. More women would be encouraged, empowered, inspired to go beyond the glass ceiling. After they break the glass ceiling, they'll want to find what's beyond there and then explore that it is a new era and a new time for women, not just in the USA, but around the world. What are some of the potential benefits they are calling the DNI president. Okay, we accept that. It's okay. We will see more. Or the diversity in inclusion, not only becoming a band, Aidan, but there might be policies that will protect those minority women who are being hired and fired as DNI leaders, etcetera. But that's for another podcast. We're gonna stay on track here. I'm really trying to control myself because I am the queen of diverting because sometimes my thoughts go faster than my verbal ability. And so while I am explaining something, my thoughts already gone to something else. So I have to keep myself in check because this is so exciting. Now for you. Send me your comments. Comment on LinkedIn Eagles page comment on Eagles page on Facebook comment on Eagles page on Instagram send us an email@infoeaglesoar.org, what kind of policies do you believe that a female president might prioritize differently than her male counterparts? What are some of those policies that you think she will make a priority? And how has the perception of female leadership change in your lifetime? I would love to hear your comments. I am over 1 minute because I said I'll only be here for 20 minutes. Now, in conclusion, I want to encourage you to engage with me on social media. Share your thoughts please make sure you leave a review subscribe share this episode do not lose the momentum and the honor that we were blessed to live in this time to see a female president. It didn't happen in 1968. It didn't happen in 1984 or 2008 or 2016. But you know what? It's happening now. And those 27% of women that are in the US Congress, we are praying or hoping that there is an increase because of Kamala Harris. I'm Charmin Prince and I want to thank you for your time. And do not forget to reach out, answer the questions of course, and engage with me on social media. Thank you.