For decades, women have made great strides in the fight for true gender equality in the United States. Women can vote, run their own businesses, go to college, and even hold office. But why is it that we have yet to see a woman hold the highest office of presidency in the United States?
After being granted the right to vote via the ratification of the 19th amendment, women were finally able to visualize themselves being a part of the decision-making processes for our country. In fact, women have been vying for the executive role of president since 1924. It wasn’t until 2016 that we first saw a woman as the presidential nominee for a major political party. Hillary Clinton’s political campaign was historic. Despite ultimately losing the election, she secured the popular vote; a strong indicator of America’s readiness for a female president. Following in her footsteps, Kamala Harris was the first woman to be elected as Vice President of the United States. She was also the first woman of color to be on a major-party ticket as a running mate. Just days ago, Kamala Harris continued to pave the way for women, securing her place as the second woman, and first woman of color, to run for president. Additionally, there are currently 152 women serving in the U.S. Congress, making up 28.4% of all of the seats and setting a record high number. Despite the ever-growing presence of women in office, the presidential glass ceiling has yet to be broken.
The Democratic party is the only major political party to have nominated a woman for president thus far. The Republican party has yet to support a woman as their presidential nominee. They were, however, the first party to nominate a woman for vice president in 2008. Historically, the Republican party has maintained a more conservative perspective, especially in recent years. Though there is certainly a multitude of things to consider when selecting a presidential nominee, could their conservative approach be potentially hindering the likelihood of a Republican female nomination? We must bear the question: is it possible to see a woman as President of the United States if both major political parties aren’t willing and able to support a female presidential campaign?
In the last three presidential elections, Donald Trump has served as the Republican nominee for President of the United States. He first won an election in 2016 when he secured more electoral votes than Hillary Clinton, then again in 2024 against Kamala Harris. Something that’s interesting to note is the fact that Donald Trump has historically only won the presidential election if his opponent is a woman. In 2020, Joe Biden secured significantly more electoral votes than Donald Trump – he even secured the popular vote. While yes, it’s true that we were facing a historic global pandemic that changed the face of our country, how is it possible for Donald Trump to have been voted out of office due to his lack of popularity, only to win it back four years later? Joe Biden was not even a favorable candidate, even amongst Democratic voters… BUT – he is a man.
In order to truly progress, women must continue to take their place at the table in every political party, and each party must be ready and willing to help them do so. The fact of the matter is that a majority of Americans are ready for a female president. At this point, it is not a matter of if we will have a female president, it is a matter of when. A glass ceiling is just a glass ceiling, and with enough fire beneath it, glass will melt.
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