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Women in Politics: Progress, Setbacks, and the Road Ahead | November 2024 Update
Notes from an ill-behaved women
History isn’t always a straight line toward progress. Sometimes it’s two steps forward, fifty years back. But I’m here to tell you that this election was not all bad news — keep reading! I’ve also been obsessed with the horrific situation for women in Iran and Afghanistan, a TV show, and, well, my own forthcoming book. All of which I share as — I hope — powerful reminders of why our fight matters more than ever. Because now is not the time to look away.
The news that Kamala Harris won’t be our next president came as an excruciating blow. As the first Black woman and first Asian American to secure a major party nomination, and as 2024’s only pro-women’s rights candidate, her loss is shared by all. Because the ramifications of this election will reverberate far beyond “just” women. The adverse impact of the current Republican agenda will cut across the economic spectrum and party lines. And it will be a travesty. There’s no soft-peddling that. But in this space I’m concentrating on women.
Having written extensively about how bad this regressive legislation is for women, the unborn, and the world at large, now that we’re here, I want to take a moment — just a moment — to examine how we got here. And then move…
