Women In Politics Magazine: Independence: the past, present, and future

INDEPENDENCE : the past, present, and future

July 2022

A Word from Our Writing Leader:

Isabella Rinaldi

Independence Day in the United States, otherwise known as the Fourth of July, is a celebration of nationhood and freedom. Under all the fireworks, barbeques, family gatherings, and the red, white, and blue, this holiday commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, that officially set us free from the British Empire. In addition, this holiday commonly celebrates being a “free” citizen in America and the beauty and independence that follows that. America is notorious for priding itself on its ample “freedom,” however it does not take a rocket scientist to look at our country today and realize that even 245 years after the United States declared its independence, “freedom” remains intangible for minority groups. On Independence Day the real question we should be asking ourselves is whose freedom do we celebrate on July 4th?

As a woman, I learned early on that the world was not built equally for me. It was a man’s world, with a man’s rules. I learned that the women’s suffrage movement occurred long after my grandmother was born, meaning she was born into a world where her rights were diminished and seldom seen as important. I learned that even after the 1920 ratification of the 19th amendment that was supposed to protect my right to vote there still continued to be decades long restrictions to prevent women of color from voting. I learned that the fight for women’s rights and equality started in 1848, and still continues today. That is 174 years. 174 years and counting. To this day, I, as a woman still have to fight for the right to be paid equal to my male colleague, I have to fight to have full rights and decision over my own body, I have to fight to be seen as more than an object to play with, I have to fight to be taken seriously in the political field, I have to fight for the right to be entitled to full coverage healthcare, I have to live knowing the prevalence of domestic and sexual abuse, I have to fight for the right to paid family leave, I have to fight to be seen as equal. Women make up half the population yet only 14% of Congress. At this rate, women will reach parity in roughly 100 years.

On July 4th, as we celebrate the independence of America, let us also take the time to reflect upon our past and present. Let us understand that freedom is not exclusively for white cis-gendered men, and that full freedom is something still in need of being achieved. So, whose freedom do we actually celebrate on July 4th? And who are the important figures who have gotten us to where we are today and what can we learn from them?

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TABLE OF E T N N TS O C Women and the Fourth of July

09 Independent Women in History

BY: SAGE LAHMERS

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Stand Up and Shout

BY: LYLA ANDERSON

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BY: HANNA MATSUKAWA

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An Unbiased Look at Gun Legislation BY: TING CUI

Women in Literature

BY: SARAH ELGAMAL

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A Woman's Independence BY: SHEA GOGERTY

Women And The 4th of July The 4th of July celebrates the passing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Many people know the famous phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” This line, stated in the Declaration of Independence, created a country that was fundamentally flawed. Half the population were excluded from the right to freedom that was tirelessly fought for. Many groups, including women, are still waiting for the liberty that is celebrated on the 4th of July.

However, there is a lot of history between women and the 4th of July that you might not know.

BY: SAGE LAHMERS

Women were very involved in the Revolutionary War in their own way.

From Abigail Adams to Phillis Wheatley, many women fought for freedom in many different ways.

Women were critical in cultivating the strong necessity for independence. During the war, women were incredibly important in helping raise money for American soldiers. After the war concluded, Abigail Adams pushed John Adams to “remember the ladies” when creating the laws for their brand new nation.

It is worth noting that most of the history surrounding women and Independence Day mostly refers to high status white women. However, many women participated behind the scenes in their own ways. Unfortunately, I am not able to share their stories because they worked in the shadows.

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In 1848, the First Women’s Rights Convention created the Declaration of Sentiments, which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Sentiments stated, “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men and women are created equal.” It was signed by 100 individuals in Seneca Falls, New York.

The main author of the Declaration was Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

On July 4th, 1876, the National Woman Suffrage Association crashed the Centennial Celebration at Independence Hall. The celebration commemorating 100 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

They presented the Vice President with the “Declaration of the Rights of Women.”

Without the help of women, the colonies may have never gained independence from Great Britain. This 4th of July, make sure to remember the women that made it all possible. There were many public efforts and private efforts behind Independence Day. Looking into the future, we need to ensure that everyone is created equal and take deliberate steps towards equality.

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Stand Up and Shout: BY: HANNA MATSUKAWA For centuries, women around the world have fought for equality and freedom in society.

From the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 to the global Women’s March in 2017, generations have continuously struggled for gender parity. Over time and across the globe, activists and advocates for women’s liberation worked to establish equal rights such as economic agency, political power, and access to healthcare and education.

While exceptional women have pushed boundaries and rose to prominence throughout time, and some civilizations even made space for women to hold equal footing in society as men, it wasn’t until the 19th century that feminism and the fight for gender equality gained momentum and made significant waves of progress. In 1893, New Zealand passed an electoral act, becoming the first country to allow women to vote. The first International Women’s Day in 1911 began in Europe, as people across the continent began to vocalize the need for gender equality. In 1929, Igbo women of Nigeria protested the patriarchal imperialism of British colonial rule in what is known as the “Aba Riots” or the “Women’s War”. They marched, rioted, danced, and sang against unfair taxation and sexist laws. While some legal reforms were made, they came at a high cost - many women were injured or killed in their fight for equality.

In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike made history as the first female prime minister in the world when she was elected as the prime minister of Sri Lanka. Later that year in the Dominican Republic, on November 25th, the Mirabal sisters were killed for resisting the regime of dictator Rafael Trujillo. Though steps towards political equality were being taken in some parts of the world like Sri Lanka, women were nowhere near achieving liberation in a global society. The deaths of Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal, known as “The Butterflies”, enraged people around the world and opened their eyes to the brutality of Trujillo’s reign.

Within a year, Trujillo was assassinated and his dictatorship toppled. In 1999, the United Nations declared November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

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In 1995, the United Nations held the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where 189 countries adopted the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. This agenda outlined 12 “critical areas of concern” including women and the environment, education and training of women, and violence against women. The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action was a groundbreaking guide to the future of gender equality activism and progress around the world.

With the turn of the century, the fight for women’s liberation only strengthened. In 2003, Liberian women formed the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace campaign with the aim of ending the civil war that was tearing the country apart. They staged sit-ins, non-violent protests, and even went on strike by stopping physical intimacy with their partners until talks of peace began. Through the actions of the Liberian women, the 14year-long civil war came to an end. Often the disproportionate victims of war, the women rose up and proved their power. They forced negotiators to meet until resolutions were reached and as a result of their efforts, the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the 2005 presidential elections in Liberia, becoming the first female head-of-state in Africa, and the continent’s first democratically elected president. The women of Liberia brought about monumental change in their country, not only providing peace but also a platform for women in politics.

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One of the lowest ranking countries on the scale of gender equality is Iran. In the early 20th century, Iran had made progress in gender equality in areas such as politics and education. In 1963, Iranian women gained the right to vote and even held political office.

However, after the revolution in 1979, women’s rights regressed. While women still hold office, can vote, and attend schools and universities, their voices are often ignored and repressed. Violence against women is dismissed, the legal marriage age for girls is 13 years old, and there are strict laws surrounding reproductive health.

One issue that many Iranian women are currently fighting for is the right to choose whether or not to wear a hijab. Iranian women are protesting the strictly enforced law due to its gender discrimination and control of women’s bodies. They are fighting for the right to choose to wear what they want without harassment and legal consequences. All around the world, women are fighting for the right to make decisions regarding their own bodies. The women of Iran are standing up and showing their government that they too have the human right to autonomy and choice.

While it is easy to despair when looking at the state of gender equality around the world, countries like Iceland prove that a path towards equal rights is attainable. Women were given the right to vote in local elections in 1881, and by 1920, all women could vote on the national level. Just two years later, Ingibjorg Bjarnason was elected as the first female member of Parliament. In 1975, thousands of women took to the streets in the Women’s Day Off strike, protesting the lack of gender equality and representation in labor and politics. Their actions were a catalyst in the progression of women’s rights in Iceland. Iceland’s first female president, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, was elected in 1980 and held office for 16 years.

In 2000, Iceland established the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men, identifying gender discrimination issues and outlining solutions. Iceland also has a law requiring all corporate boards to be made up of no less than 40% of the minority gender, ensuring a gender-equal workplace. In addition to workplace representation, Iceland is also currently working to remove the gender pay gap and has significantly closed the gap in the past decade. They provide a very generous maternal/paternal leave policy of 9 months that also requires mothers and fathers to split their childcare time equally. Beginning at the preschool level and continuing through university,students are taught about gender equality to ensure a society of mindful and active citizens. On the legal level, Iceland is creating an equal society for all, in the workplace, academics, and the home.

When we speak up, act together, and work hard, change is possible. Taking stock of the current status of gender parity in the world and looking toward the future, it is clear that there is a long way to go. However, it is important to recognize the sacrifices and strength of the women who fought against the status quo and brought us to where we are today. We stand on their shoulders and continue to create a world of equality. There is no end to the fight for women’s liberation until every woman around the world has the autonomy of choice, proper access to health and education, and political power. Characters who are strongly independent are a must for any enjoyable read. They possess a certain spunk and attitude that charms the reader, and their captivating dialogue sets the tone. Undoubtedly, when a woman in literature is independent, the depth and commentary of the text reaches a new level of complexity. Constantly, they defy societal and gender norms, fight for their beliefs, and put to shame anyone and everyone who tries to belittle them. Here are some of the most influential women in classic literature, who, despite the periods in which they resided in, and the unjust nature of those periods, triumphed and persevered. Hence, why they should be admired by modern society.

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UNBIASED GUN

LEGISLATION

BY: TING CUI

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On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed a bipartisan gun bill into law. This bill intends to prevent dangerous people from accessing firearms and increase investments in the nation’s mental health system, ending nearly three decades of gridlock in Washington over how to address gun violence in the United States. It is the most significant gun measure to clear Congress in nearly three decades, though it does fall short of more restrictive gun control proposals that Democrats favor.

The fact that Congress passed a gun-related bill at all is notable. Too often in the past, shooting after shooting, we have watched helplessly as Congress failed to act, even when lawmakers and advocates vowed again and again that it would be different. Most of the congressional efforts on guns have been stymied in recent years

by Republican opposition, as the party has largely united to block new gun control measures and prevent that legislation from reaching the 60-vote threshold needed for most bills to advance in the Senate. The timing of this new bill comes just weeks after two horrific mass shootings - at a supermarket in Buffalo and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas helping prompt lawmakers to pass legislation. As lawmakers reeled from the images from the Texas shooting, party leaders offered their tacit blessing to a small coalition of senators eager to strike a compromise.

Yet the bipartisan legislation doesn’t include the toughest gun control measures that advocates sought. The president acknowledged that the legislation fell far short of the sweeping measures he and his party had pushed for, but he said it included some long-sought priorities. “When it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential,” President Biden said.

Within the bill, one provision would make it harder for people under 21 to buy a gun by requiring law enforcement to check purchasers and mentalhealth records. But that provision would expire after 10 years, a caveat Republicans insisted on. Another provision would close the so-called “boyfriend loophole”, adding intimate partners to the list of domestic abusers who are barred from buying a gun. But the ban would expire after a few years for first-time misdemeanor offenders who maintained a clean record, and Republicans demanded it not be retroactive. A third measure sets aside $750 million to help states implement red flag laws, which let judges temporarily confiscate guns from people who threaten themselves or others, as well as other crisis intervention programs. However the bill stops short of creating a federal red flag law. The bill includes hundreds of millions of dollars to train medical workers and school personnel to respond to mentalhealth crises and funding for school safety programs and school resource officers.

Enacting the Senate bill may have only a limited impact on gun violence in the short term. Studies suggest that closing the “boyfriend loophole" would reduce gun violence, but the effect of more funding for mental health is less certain. Gun purchases often spike after mass shootings as Americans fear new restrictions, and the latest congressional action could similarly drive sales. There’s also no guarantee that states will actually adopt the red flag laws the bill incentivizes.

For lawmakers, advocates, and survivors of gun violence, the law is the culmination of decades of work, building on repeated failed efforts to overcome Republican opposition and overhaul the nation’s gun laws in response to mass shootings across the country. But the law’s enactment came the same week that the Supreme Court struck down a New York law limiting where gun owners could carry a firearm outside the home, citing the Second Amendment.

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Some experts fear the recent Supreme Court ruling lays the groundwork to challenge even red flag laws. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a century-old New York law that required people who wanted to carry a concealed handgun in public to demonstrate a need to do so, but the ruling is already driving left-leaning states to consider additional gun control laws that comply. And the court’s conservative majority itself appears somewhat split.

Thomas’s ruling endorsed an aggressive reading of gun rights. But two of his Republicanappointed colleagues — Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts, the Chief Justice — wrote in a concurring opinion that the Second Amendment, “properly interpreted,” permits a variety of gun regulations, appearing to endorse the constitutionality of many state gun laws. That makes it hard to know how much further even this deeply conservative court is willing to go.

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This bipartisan bill is certainly not perfect, and will not stop mass shootings in the United States.

However, it takes action - showing effort in a compromise that has been lacking. The bottom line is that it will make a difference in reducing the number of mass shootings that occur, and that is good enough for today, but not enough for the children of tomorrow.

How They’ve Paved

the Path for us Today BY: LYLA ANDERSON

Without a doubt, mankind’s history books are filled with the heroic tales of previous role models—inspirational people who have made an impact in their time, and oftentimes also in ours. While countless of these heroes have been women, records and books have almost entirely excluded their stories in favor of the men. This tendency, an effect of the long-standing mantra “women are less than men”, is so prominent that when one googles the synonym of “hero” or “champion”, “great man”, “brave man” and “man of the hour” all appear in the first five listed. Time and time again, history has forgotten and twisted the stories of these great women, despite the long-standing impact their actions have on us today.

One of the best, and most repetitive examples, is the way tales of the past depict female rulers of monarchies. Women who became rulers through their own means, following in the footsteps of the men before, are often depicted as “cruel” or “weak”, despite the lack of accuracy of these statements. Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty’s story showcases this perfectly. Despite the entirety of her reign resulting in a unified people and empire, Wu is often depicted in history as an offender of a way of life, as ruthless, cruel, and overall hated. Further inspection reveals quite the opposite. While she was notoriously ruthless in eliminating threats to her reign, Wu was courageous, extremely effective, and an overall respectable leader. Through her guidance, the dynasty had long standing peace for the first time in decades. Like many women lost to the treacherous words of history, Wu’s influence and her impact on the future of China were lost due to her gender.

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Like Empress Wu, Christine de Pisan was an inspiration pushed to the shadows of men.

Christine de Pisan, an amazing poet and author, is best-renowned for her feminist works of literature. A trailblazer in her time, Christine wrote “La cité des dames”, which is considered to be one of the first feminist texts. Furthermore, Christine was well educated and supported by the French court– and her father, the court astronomer.

This made her a credible author, and her works were loved by even King Louis I. Regardless of all of these truths, her works are often dismissed by history and teachers in favor of Geoffrey Chaucer, despite them both being credible authors who were published by the same publisher. Christine is often forgotten, and abandoned by records due to her gender. Like many before her, Christine knew this, but persevered for equality and her independence as a woman anyway.

Christine de Pisan, Empress Wu, and countless others have paved the path for women today.

Women who have persevered through history’s harsh filters and made progress, both great and small. Today, women have more rights and equality in government and society than ever before. In the last hundred years of American history, independent women’s resilience and leadership has led to women gaining the right to vote, the right to equal pay, the right to enlist in the military alongside men, and so much more. These accomplishments cannot have been made without the courage and resilience of the independent women of history.

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n I n e m Wo e r u t a r Lite

BY: SARAH ELGAMAL

Characters who are strongly independent are a must for any enjoyable read. They possess a certain spunk and attitude that charms the reader, and their captivating dialogue sets the tone. Undoubtedly, when a woman in literature is independent, the depth and commentary of the text reaches a new level of complexity. Constantly, they defy societal and gender norms, fight for their beliefs, and put to shame anyone and everyone who tries to belittle them. Here are some of the most influential women in classic literature, who, despite the periods in which they resided in, and the unjust nature of those periods, triumphed and persevered. Hence, why they should be admired by modern society.

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me” (Austen 122).

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is a headstrong, clever woman whose personality was often looked down upon in the 19th century Victorian era; as the pervading societal beliefs depicted the “ideal woman” as demure and submissive. However, Lizzie could not have cared less about society’s mold for women, and instead, spent her days fighting for her own happiness. She greatly valued true love over money, and detested the way women were forced into loveless marriages in trade for status and affluence. Her wit and courage continues to inspire women today, and to spread the message that being stubborn is okay; despite the belief that women are to be obedient and inferior.

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Beatrice, from Much Ado about Nothing, was at the heart of the 16th century cultural struggle for women’s rights. Beatrice lived in a time where independent women were frequently treated with contempt. She was witty and outspoken, fiercely independent yet loving, and can be seen as an example of an early modern feminist. Fast forward into the 19th century, and for many critics and audiences, Beatrice was considered problematic. She was a disturbing mixture of “masculine” intellect and “feminine” emotions. Her open disdain for men was controversial, and her dialogue laced with commentary was frequent and blatant. Beatrice was ahead of her time, and four centuries later continues to spread the message of never settling – because happiness is more important.

“...I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship” (Alcott 800).

“I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me” (Shakespeare 130).

Jo March, second eldest of the March sisters in Little Women, is brash, outspoken, and brave. Her constant challenging of what was typically considered “masculine” versus “feminine” set her apart from her sisters. She was a tomboy with a vivid imagination, and could not have cared less about outside opinions. She continuously opposed traditional womanhood, and resented the strict roles femininity placed on a woman’s future. She loathed her sister, Meg, for following the path of a “traditional woman,” but realized that it did not make her any less of a woman — for it was her choice and no one else’s. Jo’s vivacious personality is to be admired, as well as her feminist role in classic literature.

These women continue to inspire many readers through their bravery and intelligence. The ability for a reader to see a reflection of themselves on paper, thus perpetuating the unlocking of confidence needed in order to express oneself, is a crucial step in self-development.

Everyone has Lizzie or Beatrice residing in themselves – so, let’s unlock it together.

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BENAZIR BHUTTO:

A WOMAN’S INDEPENDENCE BY: SHEA GOGERTY

Since the twentieth century, Islamic fundamentalist groups have been working to undermine female authority and equality in the Middle East. Although the adopted Constitution of Pakistan decrees “no discrimination on the basis of sex alone,” many judges and lawmakers favor misinterpretations of Islamic law. Over time, women have been banned from attending sporting events, and non-marital sexual relations were criminalized.

The same man who instituted these discriminatory laws, General Zia-ulHaq, overthrew and executed the democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the man who made initial progress possible in the first place. At the time, Bhutto’s daughter, Benazir Bhutto, was exiled from Pakistan, her home country, at the age of 24.

Bhutto was a Western-educated woman, with prestigious degrees from Harvard University and Oxford University. She lived out her exile in London, England, where she founded a secret organization to resist Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship. In 1986, Bhutto returned to Pakistan at the age of 32, calling for Zia-ul-Haq’s resignation and imprisonment. While in Pakistan, Bhutto rose to political prominence, and was elected as Prime Minister in the free elections of 1988, making her the first female leader of an Islamic state.

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Though she spent the next decades in and out of office and exile, Bhutto and her party, the Pakistan People’s Party, continued to advocate for better schools, healthcare, electricity, and most of all, women’s rights. In 1997, democracy in Pakistan was overthrown by a fundamentalist military group, and Bhutto was forced into exile for the next ten years. Even thousands of miles away from her homeland, Bhutto sought to modernize and democratize Pakistan, and free it from its oppressors.

In 2007, despite threats from the growing power of the Taliban, Bhutto and her family returned to Pakistan. Upon arrival, Bhutto was greeted with cheering crowds, welcoming a sign of freedom and independence for the first time in a decade, but this enthusiasm was short-lived. Bhutto was anticipated to win the national election of 2008, and opposing groups were not eager to see that occur. Within months of her arrival, Bhutto had survived multiple assassination attempts, but was killed by a suicide bomber on December 27, 2007, mere weeks before the January election was held.

The Pakistan People’s Party won the 2008 election and continued to fight for Bhutto’s dreams of a contemporary Pakistan. Her terms have been criticized by her rivals as corrupt and ineffective, but she is widely celebrated as a political trailblazer for her advocacy for Muslim women and strong stance against Islamic fundamentalists.

As a student, Bhutto’s father ruled alongside India’s first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi, who Benazir Bhutto acclaimed as an inspiration for aspiring female politicians. And now, Bhutto’s legacy has influenced Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai in her advocacy for female educational rights in Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East. By drawing inspiration from other female fighters for independence, Bhutto was able to develop a legacy that motivates the young women of the world to follow her footsteps.

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Founder and Co-Exec. Director

Co-Exec. Director

Rebecca Joseph

Katherine Bronov

Walnut Creek, CA | 16 years old

Philadelphia, PA | 18 years old

We are the co-executive directors of Women In Politics. WIP was founded by me (Rebecca) in 2020 during the start of the pandemic. I am a high school junior from the Bay area and felt that when I first joined the Speech and Debate team at my school girls like myself were underrepresented. I very quickly realized this was not only the case at my school but also in the government on all scales. That was how Women In Politics was born. I (Katherine) am a freshman in college and joined WIP from the very start, back in 2020. I have been passionate about politics since the start of high school and I had searched for organizations and clubs that interest me but found nothing until Women In Politics (WIP) caught my eye. WIP is a very special organization and fascinatingly the first of its kind. Now, almost 2 years later we are insanely grateful to lead this amazing team and for all that we have accomplished. We hope you keep following our journey and we thank you for your support!

Please enjoy this issue!

Magazine Manager Christine Corry

Sacramento, CA | 17 years old I’m Christine, the magazine manager at Women in Politics. My passion for political involvement started very young, and ever since my eyes were opened to the political world, I have searched for new opportunities to have my voice heard. Finding Women in Politics has allowed me the opportunity to have my political voice expressed, and to uplift other youthful voices in the political sphere. I am constantly inspired by the magazine team for all of their passion and hard work. I feel that Women in Politics is making constant strides towards a future which equally represents women in the political field and it is an honor to be a part of that change. Thank you for journeying with us to that future! I hope you enjoy this issue!

Isabella Rinaldi

San Francisco, CA | 15 years old

Sage Lahmers | Hanna Matsukawa | Ting Cui | Lyla Anderson | Sarah Elgamal | Shea Gogerty

Cedar Roach

Dallas, TX | 18 years old

Maci DemMott | Oliva Massey | Ella Grady | Kaylyn Allingham | Bella Jasper

Christine Corry | Katherine Bronov | Adithi Varakantam | Soha Mahapatra

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