Supporting Women Who Lead Will Make the World a Better Place

Elizabeth WarrenWomen who lead put themselves in a position to be agents of change and make the world a better place. As Dr. Lois Phillips and Luz Reyes-Martin (two former podcast guests) point out, women often step out to lead in their communities to solve a problem that may endanger their children, families or neighbors, or issues they feel compelled to fight for. Often a small step, like speaking out at a school board meeting ultimately launches a later political campaign for public office. Today, we’re seeing an avalanche of such women as never before. Whether eyeing the school board, mayor’s office, state legislature, or the highest office in the land, women nationwide are planning – and running – their campaigns and lining up their support. No matter where your party loyalties, it’s up to us to support them.

We all win when women lead. In fact, former President Barack Obama was recently quoted by the BBC as saying that he believes living standards and economic outcomes would improve if women led every country in the world. “Now, women, I just want you to know: you are not perfect, but what I can say pretty indisputably is that you’re better than us [men]. I’m absolutely confident that for two years if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything.”

The 2018 election was hailed as the “Year of the Woman” as women ran for office and voted in record numbers. The “Pink Wave” swept across the nation and carried young women and veterans to victory in Senate and governors’ races and brought some major breakthroughs for women of color. Many of the toughest House races were won by political neophytes taking their first steps into electoral politics. As we approach the 2020 election, that wave doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

As podcast guest Rebecca Sive points out, women have been running, and winning, for years. In her book Vote Her In Rebecca references a handbook she wrote years ago, Every Day Is Election Day: A Woman’s Guide to Winning Any Office, from the PTA to the White House that advocates, “Campaigning to get to the head of the line as fast as possible, not by stepping on or over anyone else, but by working harder and faster. Succeeding as a woman in a man’s world (politics) by advocating for women—not by pretending that women and men have such similar needs and challenges that special attention to women (and the public policies that follow from it) isn’t needed. Dreaming and planning big, not because you think you are better than others, but because you’re willing to do the work and accept the responsibility for others that come with responsibility in high places.”

The women who are running for office this cycle ARE dreaming big and planning big. They are putting the issues on the front burner, and often putting their lives on the back. They are working to better their communities and taking responsibility for the betterment of the places they call home. We need to encourage them and offer them our support for their courage and willingness to work hard to solve the issues like health care, childcare and education for all that can make the world a better place for all of us. Reach out to help a like-minded woman you know who can be your voice and represent your values, and help her win. ‘Tis the season to support women who lead.

 

 

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