WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EQUALITY?
This is the week America has been waiting for: US Election Day, which turned into a longer race than anyone expected. As I write this on November 6th, we do not have a clear winner yet. While I\’m not American, my spouse and our newborn son are. So this is a big deal to me. The personal is political; the political is deeply personal. If the US is the most powerful country in the world, I want its president to lead by example and create a more just, fair culture, where the system treats everybody equally and gives everybody opportunity. Needless to say, I\’m rooting for the one who will create a stronger, more inclusive, and more compassionate society. The one who will use his privileges to lift up marginalized and disenfranchised voices.
We are going to have to wait at least four years to see the first female leader for the US because this presidential election is just like any other one in the past except for 2008 and 2016: Two white men from the two major parties running against each other for the most influential position in the world.
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
If more than a half of the population is women, shouldn\’t more women be in leadership positions to represent their voices?
More than one hundred nations have never elected or appointed a woman to the top job, including Spain, The Netherlands, Egypt, Belgium, Russia, Japan, and, of course, the US. Even in Iceland, the world\’s most gender-equal country, only two women have taken the lead of the prime minister and only one woman has ever held the nation\’s presidency.
A lack of female representation in senior leadership positions means more systems that favor men. Systematic sexism is powerful. It is deeply entrenched in our society. When our systems favor one group over another, we all lose; yes, even men.