Politics

American legislation has long provided the footing for cultural revolution. The fight for equal voting rights in America resulted in the 19th amendment, passed in 1920, with the addition of the phrase, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

The struggle to establish equal rights did not end there. Over the years, the United States has witnessed a number of firsts on the political stage.

In 1997, Madeleine Albright became the first woman in America to become Secretary of State. Ten years later, Nancy Pelosi was sworn into her position as the first female Speaker of the House. On Feb. 1, Janet Yellen is scheduled to take office as the first female chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

The benchmark for women in politics is hardly constant. With each new victory, short-sighted goals transform into more ambitious goals.

Such is the case with Fawzia Koofi, women’s rights activist and current member of parliament in Kabul. In her autobiography The Favored Daughter, Koofi reveals the intricacies of gender relations in Afghanistan, discussing her parents’ relationship, the numerous threats to her safety, and her high hopes for her two daughters.

“I regularly tear myself away from my children to do my work, despite knowing I might well be murdered,” Koofi says in her book. “But my job is to represent the poorest people of my nation. That purpose, along with raising my two beautiful daughters, is what I live for.”

The celebration of women in politics further highlights its deviation from the norm, some argue. The true state of our nation is in the social realities, not general legislation.