This past week, Her Campus hosted a webinar event with Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic Senator of New York. Many Her Campus chapter correspondents and writers across the United States submitted questions for Senator Gillibrand to answer, moderated by the co-founder of Her Campus, Windsor Hanger Western! The event was very inspiring and informative when it comes to women in politics and the upcoming election. Here are some key points that you missed:
Starting out with the upcoming election, Senator Gillibrand provided us with this advice: Go out and vote! Tell everyone you know to go out and vote, get into disagreements with other people, and provide your own views, because she states that this election is “the most important election of our lifetime.” There is so much at stake. Senator Gillibrand highlights that whoever wins this election will have to deal with the aftermath of the economic collapse following the coronavirus pandemic. She also points out that if young college women do not vote, there will not be enough people representing our values and taking what we say into serious consideration, such as women’s’ health care and reproductive rights. There are too many travesties going on around the world, which is why this election is extremely important for a lot of different people.
Senator Gillibrand brought up an alarming statistic, which is that “75% of political journalists are male.” She followed this statement up by explaining that many women’s issues are not being put on the forefront, which is leading to women’s’ issues not being represented or talked about with politicians or the public. She encouraged us, as student journalists, to step up to the plate! Senator Gillibrand discussed what it is like to work in a male-dominated workplace and how to make yourself seen. She brought up the fact that most women who are technically qualified for a job end up not taking it because they do not feel experienced enough (even though they are), although men who actually do not have the needed experience apply to jobs anyway. Senator Gillibrand encourages women to not underestimate ourselves, follow our beliefs, and push on gender bias and correct/call people out when you see sexism in the workplace. Women are capable of anything and should constantly push against sexism/misogyny anywhere anytime, and in the workplace.
Overall, your voice is extremely important for this election. Go out and vote, tell your friends and family members to vote, and never stop standing up for what you believe in! Go to iwillvote.com to see if you are registered to vote, how to register to vote, or where to go to vote.