2008 Woodie Awards
SHU's feelings towards a potential female president
Ashley Bonora
Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: Features
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A recent Sienna Research poll found that 81 percent of Americans say they are ready for a female president, but only 63 percent believe that the nation is ready for such a change.
The likeliness of having a female president in the near future may not seem high, but the 2008 election is coming up, and the number of women in all key political offices is increasing.
The White House Project, a national, non-partisan, non-for-profit organization, aims to advance women's leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency.
The White House Project creates a culture where America's most valuable untapped resource, women, can succeed in all realms.
Marie C. Wilson is the founder and president of the White House Project.To advance the mission of the project, she strives to support women and the issues that allow women to lead in their own lives and the world.
Breaking into the "old boy's club" of politics has been a frightening challenge for women. Women currently make up "13.6 percent of the House, 14 percent of the Senate; a total of 13.6 percent of Congress," said Wilson in an interview with the Washington Post.
In addition, women make up six out of 50 governors and 15 percent of the mayors of the top 100 U.S. cities are women.
According to Wilson, there is still a glass ceiling for women in politics, as well as in business, sports and other leadership sectors. The U.S. still has not had a female president, only four of the 14 official Cabinet positions are held by women, and our country ranks 59 in women's representation in national legislations.
Although women have in fact moved up in the ranks of society, America is still hesitant about having a female president.
"In terms of being good or bad, it would depend on the values of the individual. It could swing the ideologies of the government to either a more conservative or more liberal arena," said Rob Pescatore, senior, Trumbull.
"I'm in favor of women holding political offices, whether high federal positions or lower local ones. But realistically, the position of president is not prepared for a female occupant. Women have a lot of important roles in this country and maybe there is a woman candidate that is physically and mentally prepared for the responsibilities, but I personally don't feel that Americans are ready to handle that kind of change," said Diane Raimann, junior, Beachwood, N.J.