By Kristine McLonis
On March 3, 2021, three members of the Women’s and Gender Studies Steering Committee gave a panel presentation via Zoom entitled “Women in Political Leadership: the First Female Vice President in the USA”. Led by Political Science Professor Genevieve Meyers and joined by Associate Librarian Kris McLonis and McNichols Library Head of Circulation/Adjunct Professor of English Megan Novell, the presentation focused not only on the election of Kamala Harris as Vice President in 2020 but also on the benefits of having women serving in government in general.
Meyers began by pointing out how long it took the United States to have a woman elected to the office of Vice President (after unsuccessful attempts by Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin) and gave examples of other nations which had accomplished this as early as the 1930s. McLonis continued with an overview of the history of women serving in the United States Congress and the influence that their presence and service had on legislation. Novell discussed the role that women of color have played in artistic and political change in the United States since the nation’s inception.
Attendees of the presentation were invited to pose questions. Some of the topics addressed included the decades-long effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the question of whether to include women in the registration for selective service.
The presenters and attendees agreed that a yearly program addressing some aspect of women in politics would be a welcome feature. Keep your eye out for programming for March 2022!