Women in Power: What this Means for Upcoming Businesswomen and Leaders

The 116th Congress was not only one of the most ethnically diverse groups to have taken power, but it also contained the most women to date. There are a record 102 women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 34 different states. Today women comprise 23.7% of the United States Congress, 25% of the Senate, and 23.4% of the House of Representatives. These numbers may seem small; however, they show that women are taking strides by being represented in the government. The 115th Congress only contained 20.1% women. This shows that the numbers are continuously rising. Hopefully, these numbers and percentages will continue to rise in our lifetime until all genders are equally represented. 

​In addition to the increasing female representation in Congress, there are a record number of women running for president in the 2020 presidential election. There are currently five female lawmakers who have announced their candidacy and another woman, a political outsider, who is a spiritual advisor. The citizens of the United States have never had the opportunity to witness a televised presidential debate that included two female candidates, and there could possibly be six or more female candidates in the next election. More and more women have been coming into power and it isn’t going to stop here. The rise of women in government, business, etc. is going to continue to escalate throughout the upcoming generations. The women that are currently in high school and college have an increasingly large number of successful female role models, and they are able to use these mentors as motivation to work towards their aspirations.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Among the amazing women who are currently in office is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). AOC represents a woman who is a great example to motivate other women to work towards their aspirations. She works hard to achieve her goals and she fights for what she feels is right. A little over two years ago, AOC was waitressing and bartending in New York City and now she is a member of Congress and a popular activist. After her father died of cancer in 2008, she had decided to take on a second job as a bartender to help her mother with expenses. She had been employed at the immigration office while helping with some other nonprofit organizations to work towards her eventual seat in Congress. Also, AOC graduated cum laude from Boston University even after losing her father during her college career. She is not afraid to voice her opinions and to challenge others in power. At only 29 years old, she has surpassed many others twice her age by becoming a female member of Congress at such a young age. 

What This Means for the Upcoming Generations
The rise in the number of women in leadership roles and positions of power is inspirational for our generation. Women today have the opportunity to look up to other women that are accomplishing their goals and successfully making it in the government and business field. Past generations have not had as many female role models to look up to. The percentage of women attending colleges, and more specifically business schools, is higher than ever before. All of these facts and numbers should encourage you to push through to achieve your goals and to not be afraid to go after your dreams. There are other women who have done it successfully, so that means that you can too. With the right mindset and determination, women can achieve their goals better than they ever have before. There is no better time to be a woman than now.

Kylie Gambone

Editor: Hannah Grayem

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