Kamala Harris Joins Women Leaders Around the World
Inspired by female leaders before her, Kamala Harris made history as the first colored woman to become a US Vice President.
Prior to her 2020 election, she worked as a District Attorney and a Senator of California. In these positions, she fought to increase pay for the working class, reform the criminal justice system, and more. Although Harris is the first woman to become a US Vice President, many countries have already passed this milestone.
In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became Sri Lanka’s prime minister and earned the title of the world’s first woman prime minister. Serving a total of three terms, she worked to create land reforms and promote social equality. Bandaranaike also broke through the gender barrier that held back numerous women before her and led the way for many to follow, including her daughter, who succeeded Bandaranaike as Sri Lanka’s prime minister in 1994.
Like Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Gro Harlem Brundtland was another influential female prime minister who fought gender biases and inspired many reforms in Norway. As the first woman to take power in Norway, Brundtland faced setbacks such as losing her first election attempt, but she eventually fought back and earned a full two terms of power from 1986-1996. Like Harris, she made sure to prioritize the global pandemic and climate change. In 1998, she became a director general of the World Health Organization in which she worked to combat diseases such as AIDS and SARS.
Unlike how Bandaranaike and Brundtland were appointed through elections, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning ruler of Britain through succession. In the 68 years she has been in power, Queen Elizabeth II grew in popularity due to her continuous adjustments to the developing world and the immense number of reforms she made. These reforms included the Crown Act of 2013, which opened up more opportunities for the women succeeding the Queen and promoted gender equality in Britain by allowing the oldest child to be next in line for the throne regardless of gender. Just like Harris’s support for the Affordable Care Act that was geared towards the less fortunate in our community, Queen Elizabeth II continues to make efforts to help those in need by donating her money to charities such as Save the Children.
As leaders, women have caused change across communities worldwide. They remind the world of the concept of equality for all genders and serve as role models for the budding generation of young women. Upon the election of Harris as America’s next vice president, Americans across the nation are celebrating Harris’s achievements.