Women Need a Voice This Election Year

By GlobalGirl Media Executive Director Amie Williams

In Morocco, GlobalGirl Media covered the recent National Parliamentary elections in November, 2011. Reforms to Morocco’s Constitution increased political participation of women by setting aside 60 national seats for women. Watching young Moroccan GlobalGirl Reporters take an active interest in reporting on the value of women in government was extremely moving, especially in light of the present national elections in the United States.

For a long time, I’ve felt a sense of anguish over the malaise and apathy by people young and old in the US regarding politics. We tend not to acknowledge or notice the sheer lack of female voices representing us in government and across so many other fields. Currently, the percentage of women in the United States Legislature is only 16.9%. Compare this to women elected to office in Rwanda, who hold a majority in that country’s Parliament, an impressive 45 out of 80 seats.

Ninety nations surpass the U.S. in the percentage of women in the national legislature, including more than 50 democratic countries. What does this say about our country’s democratic legitimacy, when women make up 50.8% of the US population?

Recent political attacks from Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum on women’s reproductive health is a giant leap backwards for women’s rights. It’s my hope that more girls and women will begin to realize that this assault is a personal one, and that it is extremely important to speak out on these critical public policy issues.

In answer to the Gender Across Border’s call for women bloggers to talk about how connecting and empowering girls inspires our future, I want to say what I saw on the streets and souks and public squares of Morocco helps frame our work in a positive way. Although the battle seems formidable, it is not insurmountable, and it begins by giving girls a vehicle to express their voices, and finding multiple platforms to let them be heard.

GlobalGirl reporters here in Los Angeles are currently putting together a webisode series on women’s reproductive rights and body image, lending their voices to the conversation. As an organization working to engage girls in a global dialogue about women’s issues, rights and empowerment, my hope is that more women and girls begin to utilize their voices to engage in political debate.