Political EmpowHERment

  The 67th attorney general of the state of New York is Letitia "Tish" James. She is an accomplished lawyer with years of experience who has dedicated her life to serving the people. She was the first woman and person of color to be elected to the position of Attorney General in New York when she was elected in 2018. During her first tenure, Attorney General James concentrated on defending New Yorkers who were at risk and making sure that anyone or any organization in violation of state law would face consequences. Including more than $2.5 billion from opioid distributors and manufacturers for their participation in the opioid epidemic, she was able to win more than $7.5 billion for New York from individuals who disobeyed state laws and exploited residents of the state. Under her direction, the Office of the New York State Attorney General assisted in the removal of more than 4,000 weapons from New York communities, busted numerous risky drug and gun trafficking gangs across ...

  More women are publicly defending their rights thanks to growing online feminist movement like #MeToo and improved gender representation in politics. But this has led to a backlash against women's rights, with prominent women bearing the brunt of it. More women than ever hold elected positions. As of December 2022, there are 30 women serving as elected heads of state or leaders of government, making up 26.4% of all legislators worldwide. However, the UN Women organization estimates that if things continue as they are, it will take 130 years to achieve gender equality in the highest levels of authority. The direction of travel is up. Slow is the rate of development. This poses a problem. Women's participation in politics has been fought for, but those who are setting the example seem to be paying a costly price. Despite the fact that there are more women than ever in positions of power and influence, these women nonetheless frequently experience violence and abuse aimed at th...

  According to a survey released , the most thorough and recent count of abortions nationally, the total number of legal abortions in the United States dropped barely over 6 percent in the six months following the Supreme Court's decision to take away the right to abortion last June. The overall reduction is greater than some researchers had predicted prior to the Supreme Court decision. More women than anticipated appear to have been stopped from getting legal abortions by new limitations and the challenges they impose, such as the logistics and costs of travel, lengthy wait periods at some facilities, and misunderstanding or fear of the law. According to epidemiology professor Alison Norris, one of the report's authors, "the barriers that were put in place were not surmountable" for many women seeking abortions. She claimed that despite many clinics increasing their capacity, "it is insufficient to manage the losses." The data covers the period until Decem...

  Jackson is now the first Black woman and the first justice to have served as a federal public defender before joining the Supreme Court. Of course, Jackson's climb has no effect on the court's ideological makeup, but in other ways, her presence will signal a major change for the justices. Together, Jackson's experiences as the first Black woman and the first ex-public defender to serve on the Supreme Court indicate that she will bring a fresh viewpoint to judicial views. Some legal experts even speculate that it may help her influence her fellow justices. Jackson can express her viewpoint through dissents that might have more weight in future proceedings or with different branches of government, even if she doesn't ultimately affect the court's decisions. Being the first and only Black woman on the court as well as one of two Black justices serving concurrent terms for the first time, Jackson's opinions will be highly influential. Bringing the perspective of a...

Many people are unsure if Nikki Haley will have a fair chance as a female contender in 2024 at a time of extreme sexism in Republican politics. With her experience as a governor of South Carolina and an ambassador to the UN, Haley would be a potential candidate with great advantages if this Republican Party existed ten years ago. She is firmly pro-life and a woman of color, which is important for a party that has long sought to diversify. Her dream of running for president, however, may turn into an impossible task given the realities of Republican Party politics today. Even under the best of conditions, female presidential candidates must contend with an especially prevalent type of American gender bias that has dominated every previous race. Sexist bias hampered Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, which significantly contributed to her defeat.  Six women fought for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, and they received more negative press than their male opponents. Their...

Despite advancements at lower levels of government and one vice president who broke down barriers, those same barriers have been difficult to maneuver through for others. The first Black woman elected to the California State Assembly was Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, who served from 1967 to 1973. She became the first Black woman elected from the American West to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1973 to 1979. She was the first woman to lead the Congressional Black Caucus and the first Black woman to become vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. Significant obstacles stand in the way of Representative Barbara Lee as she begins her campaign for a California Senate seat. The election is anticipated to be among the most costly and competitive in the nation. She will have to deal with one of the strongest glass barriers in American politics, which makes it more scary. In 1998, when Ms. Lee, then 76, was first elected to Congress, there were 11 Black women servin...