“Why has there never been a woman president?” my 8-year-old daughter, Lotus, asked me in 2008 when Barack Obama became our first Black president. It was such a thought-provoking question it inspired me to write a whole book of interviews to explore the answers. Sixteen years later, Lotus said sadly, “I’m still asking the same question at 23.”

Since Vice President Kamala Harris lost the election, I’ve been thinking about all the girls and young women across the country who, like Lotus, saw yet another highly qualified female candidate lose to a white man for president. And not just any man, but one who’s been convicted of 34 felonies and found liable for sexual assault and defamation and has a long history of racist and sexist remarks, particularly toward female leaders. What effect will that have on girls’ perception of leadership, their self-worth and their ideas of what is, and is not, possible for women to achieve? (Not to mention the bad example it sets for boys and how it may shape their attitudes and behaviours toward women.) In addition to other concerns we may have about Harris’ loss and Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency, here’s something I urge us to be vigilant about: making sure the outcome of this election does not deter girls from aspiring to become our next generation of leaders.

Read more at: https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2024/12/25/we-need-to-embolden-women-to-keep-running-for-leadership