The Rise of Women in Politics

By: L. Scala 

Women all around the world are being voted into several positions all over the world. For a great part of the history of politics, men have always held the centre stage and women were not allowed to voice or act upon their concerns. In Brazil, women were only granted the right to vote in 1932. Less than 100 years ago. With men being able to vote at their will, women were only allowed to vote 89 years ago. However, as humanity has evolved, so have civil rights with it. Nowadays, women are not only allowed to engage in politics but at times are the main star of the show. Statistically speaking, it has never been better to be a woman in politics. 
 
Currently, some of the most powerful people on the earth are women. Angela Merkel, ranked the world’s most powerful woman, is the German chancellor and has held the position since 2015. She is the first female chancellor to ever be put into office. Merkel is not only generally approved by the German population, but she has also accomplished things that no one ever has. Merkel has strived to make the most of Germany’s foreign policy, she has improved transatlantic economic relations with other countries and strengthened International friendships through the European Union and NATO. Merkel was President of the European Council in 2007 and was vital in the negotiations of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration. Angela Merkel was instrumental in resolving the global financial downturn and the European debt crisis. To combat the Great Recession, she negotiated a recovery package in 2008 that focused on infrastructure funding and public investment. She has been the senior G7 leader since 2014, having previously served from 2011 to 2012. In 2014, she became the European Union's longest-serving head of government. Not only has the chancellor achieved remarkable feats internationally, but in the German state itself, she has also made a huge impact. Domestically, Merkel's "Energiewende" initiative has prioritized energy growth. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emission by using more renewable energy sources and phase out Nuclear Energy from Germany. 
 
Kamala Harris, another big name in American politics, also given the title of the world’s 3rd most powerful woman, was voted into the office of the vice-president in the 2020 American elections. She is a member of the Democratic party and served as the United States Senator for California from 2011 to 2017. As a senator, Kamala already advocated for healthcare reform, federal de-scheduling of cannabis, making it easier to become a legal immigrant, gun control and progressive tax reform. Harris became vice-president during the inauguration beside the president, Joe Biden. She already broke several records, being the first woman, African American and Asian American to ever occupy her current cargo. She already changed the political spectrum by granting a majority to democrats in the senate. In February and March, Kamala was essential and made the tie-breaking vote to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which granted stimulus packs. She was also essential in the 2020 elections, she and her running partner, Joe Biden, rallied over 81 million votes, which is the biggest number ever seen voting for a presidential candidate. 
 
Overall, there still is a long way to go. Men have dominated the political field for a long period of human history, but things are changing. The political spectrum is far from being equally balanced between women and men, but women are certainly rising. Currently, on the Forbes’ list of the most powerful people in the world, only 2 out of the top 15 are women. But if the statistics show something, is that the rise of women in politics is far from over. ​