Women Making History and Breaking Barriers in 2020
By Maxine An, Secretary
Graphics by Dina Kuanysheva, Web Designer
It has been over 100 years since the 19th Amendment was passed, allowing women the right to vote in the United States. It has been almost 60 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first commercially produced birth control pill in the world and since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, which prohibited sex-based wage discrimination for the same job in the same workplace. Despite these advances in women’s equality, we are still underrepresented in politics, underpaid in our professional roles, and objectified in the media. However, women are still making strides forward. While 2020 has been filled with traumatic deaths and an election that has further divided the country, it has also been a year where women have made history, achieving and filling positions only ever held previously by men.
Featuring Kamala Harris | Photo Credits of The Guardian
This past November, Kamala Harris became the first woman and person of color elected as vice president of the United States. According to the New York Times, Harris has made significant political impacts in the past — she was the first Black woman to serve as California’s attorney general and was the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate’s history. In her victory speech after the 2020 election results came out, Harris said, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
Seeing a woman and person of color take a position that no woman has ever taken before has established an example of progress towards gender and racial equity. This is the highest position in the United States that a woman of color has ever held, and that is a historically paramount moment on its own. To see this achievement in the 21st century has brought about both hope and doubt for the future. On one hand, it allows the ideas of equality and inclusion to continue moving forward. On the other, we can question why a woman had not achieved this position sooner and why some people cannot see that society still has a long way to go. I hope that those who can see the importance of Kamala Harris’ position in the White House will also put in the effort to make sure that those around them will work to make the United States a better place for everyone to live in.
Photo Credits of Yahoo News
A few weeks after the results of the 2020 election, the first all-female senior communications team at the White House was announced. NBC News reported that Elizabeth Alexander will serve as the communications director for the first lady, Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director, Ashley Etienne as the communications director for the vice president, Karine Jean-Pierre as the deputy press secretary, Jen Psaki as the White House press secretary, Symone Sanders as the vice president’s senior advisor and chief spokesperson, and Pili Tobar as deputy White House communications director. While women have been part of the senior communications team at the White House in the past, this is the first time where it has been composed entirely of women. The goal is to bring diverse perspectives to the White House, and having more female voices in positions of power can bring about progress toward harnessing new ideas and achieving equality.
Outside of politics, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play for a Power Five college football team this November, delivering the opening kickoff in the second half of a game between Vanderbilt and Missouri. She told ESPN, “All I want to do is be a good influence to the young girls out there because there were times I struggled in sports, but I'm so thankful that I stuck with it, and it's given me so many opportunities… I've met so many amazing people through sports, and I just want to say that... you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Featuring Sarah Fuller | Photo Credits of Ultiworld
Fuller is expected to remain on Vanderbilt’s football team as one of their two kickers — which debunked my own assumption that she would only be stepping in for that one game. During the first game, she gave a halftime speech to the team as they trailed Missouri 21-0. The coaches commented on this speech, where Fuller pushed the team to cheer for their teammates, saying that she spoke about exactly what they had in mind. Though she had only been on the team for a short time, Fuller acted as if she had known them for years and gave them the encouragement they needed for the game. This is about more than just Sarah Fuller playing in a college football game; Fuller breaking this sports barrier also shows girls around the world that they can do anything they want, regardless of their gender or the obstacles that come with it.
On the executive side of sports, Kim Ng became MLB’s first female general manager — and the first in the four major North American professional sports leagues — after the Miami Marlins hired her in November. Despite nine years of experience as MLB’s senior vice president of baseball operations, she was turned down for a similar job by at least five other teams over the last 15 years, according to ESPN. Ng’s unwavering dedication to getting this position, despite all the rejections in an all-male sport, demonstrates her resilience and determination.
Featuring Kim Ng | Photo Credits of New York Times
She told AP News, “Look, it’s a tribute to the idea that you just have to keep plowing through. That’s what this is. It’s like we tell the players — you can mope and sulk for a few days, but that’s it. You’ve got to come back, and that’s what I’ve been able to do. I’ve been defeated and deflated numerous times, but you keep hoping.” Being a woman in sports is challenging because it is typically dominated by men. These breakthroughs in the sports industry are not something to be taken lightly. They indicate the strides women’s rights movements have made and the persistence and dedication of those like Fuller and Ng.
While women — especially women of color — still face sexism in almost all industries, the barriers women broke in 2020 have made history. There is still much work to do to ensure the equality and equity of everyone in society, but these women’s achievements indicate a step towards progress. These recent accomplishments have garnered hope for a more inclusive future, representing that our society is starting to celebrate and value differences rather than disregarding a variety of perspectives. Yet it is significant that these examples reflect the need for equality, where women should be treated the same and given the same opportunities as men when it comes to positions of power in any field or industry.
