The US prides itself in its firsts, so it’s surprising the United States has never had a female president. Sure, we have had senators, representatives, and only as of recently, a Vice President, but something about the glaring lack of a woman president feels like we need to catch up to everybody else. 

Some progress, but not enough

According to the Pew Research Center, statistically, there has been an increase in women running for political positions; the representation of women in the Senate alone has risen from 9% in 1999 to 25% in 2023. 

Even though this is a substantial jump, women make up more than half of the United States’ entire population. If this large segment of the population is only represented by less than two-quarters of the governmental body, the issues that matter to women will not be as prioritized as they should, and laws that protect the rights of women have already been revoked. 

So what countries have beaten us to the punch? Iceland elected the first female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, in 1980, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) elected the first female Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1994. Additionally, the United Kingdom, India, Argentina, Portugal, and Bolivia have all had women in the top positions in their governments. 

Leadership and misogyny

Not only do women struggle to secure leadership positions at the highest levels, but many women struggle to obtain basic equality in our society due to misogyny. In the workplace, women face a stubborn wage gap with women making only 84% of what a man is paid in a year. The wages of women of color are substantially lower. Furthermore, an astounding 81% of women will or have reported sexual harassment in their lives, and one in seven women have stepped away from their current careers because of sexual harassment or assault.

Women are on the same footing as men when it comes to professionalism and skillsets. There is no proof that women lack skills such as negotiation and policy creation; any semblance of an idea that points to this being untrue is a stereotype that can hurt the aspirations of women. Stereotypes like these can cause women to be ridiculed when they take the initiative to surpass these ideas or be seen as unfit for leadership when they make mistakes common to both sexes. 

A prominent excuse for why women are unfit for the presidential seat is that they are seen as “too emotional” and will make rash decisions based on mood swings. This notion implies that women have absolutely no emotional control or are simply incompetent. 

Interestingly, whether someone is fit for leadership can come down to their emotional intelligence. Studies show that women have greater emotional intelligence compared to men. Having a higher level of emotional intelligence makes for leaders who establish a better sense of empathy. Empathy plays a key role in leadership and equips leaders with the ability to be more introspective and be more thoughtful when it comes to decision-making. 

Despite these stereotypes and misogyny, women have not been deterred from running for office. The election of 1872 was the first ever time the United States saw its first woman running for office: Victoria Woodhull. She was one of the most influential women in the suffrage movement. 

1872 (if you are unaware) was before women even had the right to vote. And while she didn’t win, her initiative would inspire future candidates and activists along with those in the steadily growing feminist movement. 

Will the glass ceiling break?

Kamala Harris has the democratic ticket this year following her time as the vice president. While her achievement as the first woman to be vice president is monumental, it also holds true that she is both the first African American and Asian American to become vice president. 

I am confident that I will see a female president in my lifetime, whether it be in November or when I’m nearing 80. My outlook may be optimistic, but female leadership would be beneficial for this country. Young girls are always told they can be anything they want to be, and maybe, just maybe, seeing this first will reinforce that thinking in a new and powerful way.