The Power of Women

Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, occurred eighty-eight years ago on August 26th. So the prominent role women are playing in today’s events at the Democratic National Convention seems most appropriate as a way to honor what they are calling, Women’s Equality Day. At the Women’s Caucus this morning, delegates filled a large ballroom at the Denver Convention Center to recognize the uniqueness of the 2008 presidential campaign, featuring a woman and African American as the party’s top contenders for the nomination of their party. Speakers included Donna Brazile, CNN commentator, Ellen Malcolm, founder of Emily’s List (a pro-choice PAC), Sheila Johnson, businesswoman, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, and Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parent Action Fund and daughter of the former Governor of Texas, Ann Richards. In their own way, each recognized Hillary Rodham Clinton for creating 18 million cracks (the number of votes she won) in the glass ceiling that has kept women underrepresented in American politics.

That a huge room packed with mostly women would cheer loudly for Senator Clinton while banging on lavender-colored tambourines given to those in attendance was not surprising. Nor perhaps was the enthusiastic endorsement of Michelle Obama’s speech at the convention on Monday night. There was a big unknown, however, in what degree of support the Clinton delegates would show for candidate Obama and his vice-presidential running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Speeches and crowd reaction sent the message that Democratic Party women were on board with Obama-Biden. Yet disappointment or displeasure among some Clinton delegates did appear.

New Mexico delegate Dory Shonagon acknowledged that there has been tension with some Clinton delegates, but she says, “I feel it’s going to be resolved…. I’m an optimist.” More importantly, Shonagan emphasized how the convention today would display the power that women have seized in American politics. Tonight’s line-up of women elected officials includes Governors Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Janet Napolitano from Arizona. Clean-up batter is Senator Hillary Clinton herself, whose message to her pledged delegates will be eagerly awaited by a packed arena.

Importantly, Shonagon, a seasoned political activist herself, drew distinctions between power with others and power over others, with women preferring the former rather than the latter. She contended that women run for political office not so much to claim power for themselves but to “get things done.” Research on women in politics makes this same point.

In the end, Women’s Equality Day at the Democratic convention underscores that women are exercising power as grass-roots activists, party leaders, and elected officials from the local level on up across the country. They still remain underrepresented in public office, but those gaps are closing. And now that the glass ceiling has 18 million cracks in it, the sky appears to be the limit for more women’s power in the years ahead.