When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a princess or a mommy when I grew up, which makes sense considering that the only strong female roles models in my life were my mom and the fictional characters that I had seen on screen. I didn’t know that there were any other options for me as a woman. Luckily, this changed on January 21, 2021. Thanks to the swearing-in of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, young girls now see that anything is possible as long as you can dream big enough.
In addition to being the first female to hold this position, Kamala Harris is also the first Black and Asian American Vice President. While this is an incredible feat on its own, it stands even stronger following four years of racism and misogyny propagated by the former leader of the country. During Harris’ acceptance speech in November, she said “I may be the first woman to hold this position, but I won’t be the last.” Through this statement, she is proving that things can change and that in the end, good prevails as long as you don’t stop fighting.
Following the inauguration, I saw pictures and videos of little girls standing next to the TV screen holding up their right hand and smiling from ear to ear. While they may not fully understand the impact of the event, they are still proud to see a woman standing on their screen. Female representation in positions of power is important so that this is no longer a rare occurrence. When I was young, I would play “house” with my friends because that was what I knew. Now, following the election of Kamala Harris, we will have an entire generation of girls who will play “Vice President” because that is what they now know.
It is also important to recognize the impact of the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. She has chosen to keep her title of Dr., which she earned when she obtained her Doctorate in Education. Women with titles such as this are often referred to by their first name, rather than in relation to their academic achievements. By clearly defining herself as Dr. Jill Biden, she is teaching young girls to never let anyone diminish their accomplishments, while also reminding girls that they too can be a woman of incredible stature.
Dr. Jill Biden will also be the first First Lady to hold a paid job outside of their role in the White House. She will continue to be a professor of English at a community college, just as she did during her eight years as Second Lady. Not only is this another historic “first” for the incoming administration, but it also shows girls that they can exist outside of the men they surround themselves with. I think it is unfair to assume that just because your husband becomes the President that you have to give up your career, and Dr. Jill Biden is proving that that is not the case. She is her own woman.
While the women entering the White House will have a huge impact on the young generations of women, they will also influence the young men. If we instill in our youth that it isn’t rare for women to be in positions of power, then they will not expect anything different when they grow up. If we teach young children that this how the world works, then they will grow up having respect for women engrained in them. While this is a historic administration now, we can only hope that in the future this is common and no longer in need of celebration.