November 8 is quickly approaching, and I don't want to put the carriage before the horse, but I'm pretty sure that Hillary Clinton is going to win. According to a final poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal for the time of Nov. 3-Nov 5, Clinton is four points ahead of Donald Trump at 44% when compared to Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. If we look at her odds just against Trump, her lead increases to five points. So now we can start talking about what her win will do for women of all ages in this country.
1. It could inspire women and girls to pursue careers in politics or other positions of leadership. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund once said, "You can't be what you can't see." According to the documentary "Miss Representation," by Jennifer Newsom, women are underrepresented in leadership. In government, women make up 51% of the population, but only 17% in Congress. Insane, am I right? Seeing a woman in the White House who is not the First Lady will be a powerful sight to see. Clinton would be a sign of hope. She will inspire the next generation of female leaders who will no longer think that leadership roles are only designated for men, watch out!
2. Maybe there will be some clarity on the topic of female reproductive health. We're in 2016, and we have so many changes since Roe v. Wade, but what hasn't changed is that men are still trying to dictate what a woman's needs, and that they have absolutely no idea what the hell they're talking about. I think back to 2012 when the then-U.S. Representative of Missouri Todd Akin said that women who experience "legitimate rape" are not in danger of pregnancy because the body would shut itself down. (I'm really not kidding, these are the people who have the power to pass policy concerning female health.) So when Hillary wins, maybe she can effectively communicate what a woman's body needs since she is, you know, a woman. Fingers crossed.
3. She will inspire hope that patriarchy won't be the dominate force forever. America is changing; being a white, heterosexual male isn't quite the golden ticket that it used to be. More and more diverse people are getting high positions of influence. Power is slowly becoming more diverse, and Hillary Clinton becoming the first female president of the U.S. would be the symbol to not only the world, but to all women in America.
There are plenty of other ways that Hillary Clinton's inevitable presidency can positively effect women and girls of all ages. But these are just the main points. See you guys on election day. May the odds be ever in Hillary's favor.
