Here, Let Me Do It! Women Empowerment and Politics

Women Empowerment Is Transforming Politics

History of Women Transforming PoliticsWomen had no formal role in revolutionary America because they were not full citizens. In keeping with 10,000 generations of tradition, women in 1700s America were represented in public affairs by their husbands or  fathers. Like women today, however, they exercised their economic power, helping the Colonies by boycotting English goods. through women helping women, slowly they were building self-esteem and gaining self-confidence.

Native American women, particularly in agricultural tribes, had more power than White women. African American women slaves had much less. Colonial women had few rights and  opportunities but were actually skilled craftswomen, excellent parents, thoughtful and wise and easily able to take over home, farm and business when widowed.

Politically aware, they supported their chosen parties by showing up, cooking for events, wearing colors and symbols of the party, and marrying men of the same party. Women who stepped outside these boundaries were depicted as whores, distorted men or victims.

Backlash Limits Women’s Self-Confidence

As women slowly claimed more power into the early 1800s, a backlash rendered them invisible for nearly 100 years, until they won the vote in 1920. Progress in politics was slow, limited to an occasional woman ambassador or legislator, until the Republican party nominated the first woman presidential candidate in the 1960s. The Eighties brought the first woman justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and the first woman to run for Vice-President on a major party ticket.

Women were first elected in numbers to the U.S. Senate in the 1990s, 70 years after American women voted in their first elections. The millennium brought the first woman Speaker of the House and in 2008 the first woman won a presidential primary.

Today women empowerment is moving increasing numbers of women into positions of power. They know how to gain confidence and are good at building self-esteem. They are also just as good at raising money and winning elections as men!

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