What Trump's Presidency Will Mean For Women?
As a 16 year old female, gender equality isn’t something I come across very often. When Hillary Clinton became the first female Democratic nominee back in July, my feminist heart skipped a beat. The thought of electing the first female president represented something much bigger than we could have ever imagined, even a mere 20 years ago. But as time went on, I discovered how not ready for a female president this country was. In fact, seven other countries have had female presidents and we barely have had a female nominee. Clinton was criticized for what she was wearing, her illness and even her emails, which were investigated on TWO separate occasions. The second investigation came a mere two weeks before Election Day, and promptly ended after the election results came in. Clinton was rarely criticized for her policies; instead her emails became the focus of the campaign against her. She was judged for her husband’s choices, even though she clearly had no control over his extramarital activities. When Mr. Clinton was governor of Arkansas, Ms. Clinton was called out for being too unlike a lady, wearing her hair short and wearing different glasses. She eventually changed her look when it started to affect her husband’s reelection campaign. Being a woman was always considered to be a downfall for her, and this continued into her presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s campaign was littered with sexist and demeaning comments towards women. From Megyn Kelly to Rosie O’Donnell, president-elect Trump attacked woman after woman. And yet, there seemed to be no punishment for his behavior. Only after p***y-gate was his respect towards women questioned. Senators, House members, governors and other legislators withdrew their support for his campaign, stating that they had mothers, wives, daughters and granddaughters, and that kind of behavior appalled them on this account. But many people raised the point that whether or not you have a significant female figure in your life, respect for women is a basic American value and should be followed no matter your circumstances.
I decided to stay up on election night, thinking that I wanted to witness a historic moment when Ms. Clinton became president-elect. But instead, I stayed up until 3 in the morning, watching horrified as the votes came in and Donald Trump inching further and further ahead, winning state after state. At around 3 in the morning, the campaign manager announced to the crowd at the convention center in New York to go home, “that the fight was far from over.” I saw as hundreds left the center in tears, devastated from the results of the election. Less than an hour later, Trump came out, stating that Clinton had just called and succeeded the election. His crowd chanted “USA, USA, USA” as he began his victory speech. And just like that, Donald Trump because President Elect of the United States. At the end of the night, I was left wondering what this meant for the future of this country and those in it.
I asked some of the girls in Newsroom to tell me what they thought Donald Trump’s presidency would mean for them and women everywhere. This are some of the things they said:
“I think Donald Trump’s presidency will lead to the fear of many women and the glass ceiling not being broken for 8 years.”
“I really don’t know what to expect honestly.”
“Let’s just say that women's future doesn't look good.”
“I think it may make some women uncomfortable having him as president.”
“Women will have to help build each other instead of tear each other down.”
“I think it will mean that women will have to change, and ‘man-up’ to show who’s really boss.”
At the end of the day, Clinton lost. And there is nothing we can do about it. While we may feel discouraged and upset, it is crucial to come together as a nation and help each other heal and rebuild. Women especially, need to join together and learn from each other; we need to encourage healing and compassion and strength among us. It’s the only way we are going to make it through these next 4-8 years.
