Illustration by Clara Hollowgrass
For a little over a month, San Francisco had a woman of color as an acting mayor until she was voted out in favor of a white man. Obviously, the details are more complicated, and many other factors came into play when the decision was made to have her replaced. However, for as short of a time as it was, London Breed held the highest elected position in San Francisco, which was a small yet inspiring victory for women everywhere.
Women across America have recently become more inspired and active in their communities, and the number of women running for office has shot up to astronomically new heights. Close to eighty women are exploring runs for governor in 2018, and countless others are running for more local positions.
Since Donald Trump was elected, thousands of women have contacted Emily’s list, a service that pro-choice democratic women refer to in order to gain information and training about the possibility of running for office. From 2015 to 2016, that number was nine hundred; now, it is close to 26,000. While many of these drastic changes can be credited to disgust with the Trump administration, some of the same reasons that brought him into office motivated women across the board to take the plunge into politics. These include dissatisfaction with representation, frustration with government, and the feeling of other people’s needs being put before their own.
It’s also a feeling of obligation. If a woman has the ability and resources to make a difference, now is when she must stand up and enact the changes she wishes to see. If that means signing an online petition, campaigning for a woman in their local office, or running for local office, it’s time. Across the country, women are realizing this and sacrificing privacy, stability, and sometimes safety, in order to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves. Maureen Martin, a woman running for office in Illinois, said, “For me to not activate is a disservice to others; the least I can do is show up.”
By continuing female empowerment within our society, women will inherently be more inclined to run for positions of power in their own communities and beyond. The past few years have been full of wake-up calls to a huge number of Americans, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is planning on quieting down soon. Many women are taking these opportunities to become positive role models for little girls all over the country who now are beginning to see themselves with futures in politics. And those little girls, they will grow up to be just as passionate and driven as the women around them.