I have to admit I’m not politically well versed. Until Yesterday I did not know who Kamala Harris was. I knew she’s the Vice President elect of Biden but that’s about it. Don’t worry I don’t have voting rights in this country yet! If I had, I would’ve definitely brushed up on the candidates.
I’m giving you an insight into my political knowledge so that you feel the same thing as I felt when Kamala Harris delivered her victory speech. A novice like me got goosebumps when she said, “I may be the first woman Vice President of this nation but I certainly will not be the last!”
This is what we achieve as a whole country, if we educate our girls and raise them right. This is what we get when we have strong mothers who dared to break patriarchy and raise their daughters to be equally strong. This is what we achieve when we give our daughters their right to freedom of speech. Every girl who was listening to Kamala Harrris speak yesterday would’ve felt at least once, immense pride and they would have dreamed of standing up there one day and making their voices heard. I am an Indian and India already has had strong women leaders but I’m not sure why this win feels more historic. It may be because I was too young then to understand what it meant to a whole country!
Today, when I researched Kamala Harris for the purpose of this blog, I came across a lot of powerful quotes from her. Few that stood out were, “ I was raised to be an independent woman, not the victim of anything.” and “What’s important for my daughter to know is that.. If you’re fortunate to have opportunity, it is your duty to make sure other people have those opportunities as well.”
My heart swells with pride that a right leader was chosen. I also feel elated that a woman with strong core beliefs is alongside, to empower women and families because, if women and families are left behind, the whole nation is!
The other day my son had homework from school. “What are the qualities you think a president should have?” and he answered “a president is someone who should have a vision, a dream and he/she should work towards achieving it”. If a 9 year old believes in a gender neutral and unbiased choice of a leader why can’t we do the same? Being a woman should never be a drawback.
History has proven what strong women in any country can achieve. You do not know if there is an Angela Merkel or a Greta Thunberg or a Malala Yousafzai growing up in your home! Chaining her to age old patriarchy is not going to help her but supporting her to break all the barriers is! Educate a girl, empower her, and you’ll see her changing the world.
Here’s to more powerful women leading countries.
Comments