Hey Rulers! How’s everyone feeling heading into election week? I, for one, am hoping to have a restful and relaxing weekend in preparation for the week ahead. On that note, let’s get to it: We are days away from the election — one that could result in a historic first for women — marking the start of the transition to a new political landscape. No matter who ends up in the White House, women are about to witness drastic change and reassess how they’ll drive politics and policy in the coming years. It’s why women leaders from an array of fields gathered in downtown D.C. Tuesday for Women Rule: Rising Leaders , an event exploring the future of women in politics. Panels included discussions on health care, representation within STEM fields and the lead-up to the 2024 election (among other topics). Here are some key takeaways from the event: Gender is playing a large role in this election With Vice President Kamala Harris vying for the presidential seat, it’s inevitable that gender would make its way into the conversation. Harris herself hasn’t made her identity a central part of the campaign, a shift from 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In a panel discussion on women ruling — moderated by Teresa Wiltz , deputy editor of special projects for POLITICO Magazine — Win with Black Women Founder Jotaka Eaddy says that gender is going to play an important role in this election, especially when it comes to key issues like reproductive rights. “I think it’s also important to know the issues that are driving this election, and it is issues of reproductive freedom. Because women are very close to that, and we care very much about the type of leader we have in office,” Eaddy says. Eaddy was joined by Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University. Citing a study conducted by the institute, Martin says they found that women are very engaged in this election and showed “pronounced support” for Harris. “If she does win in this election it will be because of women,” Martin says. Early voting numbers are showing a 10-point gender gap, with women making up about 55 percent of the vote. But Eaddy says this election won’t be defined by a race between “boys versus girls.” “This election is really going to boil down to democracy versus debauchery,” Eaddy says. A lot has changed since 2016 Eight years after Clinton’s defeat, Martin says that the idea of a woman as commander-in-chief has become more acceptable. Clinton made history in 2016 as the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party. In 2020, six women (all Democrats) ran for president, one of which achieved another historic first as the first woman vice president. “That’s not to say that there are still issues of sexism that are out there. That’s not to say that Kamala Harris has to be 10 acts better,” Martin says. But at least now there’s a softening to the idea of a woman president, and that alone is progress, she adds. Eaddy says it will be important to watch how white women shift this election. The group favored former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, but Eaddy cited the “White Women: Answer the Call 2024” meeting as a sign that this year is different. “[The call] was a reckoning of sorts where white women themselves took responsibility for how they voted in the past, and took responsibility for not just sitting out but taking action this election,” Eaddy says. Initiatives on women’s health care will continue to see bipartisan support, regardless of administration Mala Adiga, policy director for the Office of the First Lady, says that there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm surrounding women’s health research. “Because this issue is so bipartisan, the work can continue and will continue,” Adiga tells moderator Lauren Egan, White House reporter at POLITICO. Women’s health research remains underfunded, Adiga says, pointing to conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women, such as menopause or Alzheimer’s. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden announced $110 million in awards to the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which aims to improve and increase research surrounding women’s health. “Our daughters are going to have those answers in a way that I don’t have now, and that my mother didn’t have. And it is very exciting to be a part of this work,” Adiga says.
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