Gender balance in political leadership brings new perspectives and allows every citizen’s needs to be fulfilled, but statistics show that the gender imbalance gap is widening and that the majority of men are holding high political authority positions. According to the World Economic Forum, women make up half of the global population but hold just 26.5% of parliamentary seats and 22.9% of ministerial positions worldwide. This gap not only hurts the women running in Congress but also the young girls who desire to pursue a career in politics.
Harrison High School offers many clubs for students interested in the political field, like Model Congress and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, where students compete at conferences or tournaments. Even though everyone is welcomed into these clubs, some students at Harrison High School, during these academic tournaments, felt like their key points were being disregarded and that men always had the upper hand. This pattern of self-consciousness has been repeated over and over again throughout history. The National Women’s History Museum states that 89% of women believe that men hold most of the advantages in society, and only a third believe that women today have as much power as men to create change. The same systemic issues continuously being seen throughout the world create a burden on women to try to fulfill their dreams and passions.
“I’ve had rounds where I’ve lost because my tone was too harsh towards my opponent during cross-examination,” Paige Bianchini, a sophomore at Harrison High School, explained. Paige is on the debate team, competes on the national circuit, and spends most of her time going to competitions. “Even though we were both speaking at the same volume, I was the only one seen as aggressive.”
One sophomore in Model Congress who attended the Harvard Model Congress trip this past winter break said, “As soon as I walked in, I noticed there weren’t a lot of girls in my committee.” They added, “I was a little nervous at first, but then I got to talk to new people.”
With these challenges, Harrison High School is trying to make sure that young women feel included and valued. The school has clubs that help girls become leaders. For example, Harrison High School’s Friends of Rachel creates a friendly environment where any student, regardless of gender, feels comfortable speaking up. Furthermore, other groups like HHS peer leaders and student government initiatives are working to get rid of the stereotype of a “boys-only” club. Through mentorship and guidance, Harrison shows that any action or voice can make an impact.
How can we create gender balance outside of Harrison High School? The Harvard Kennedy School states that mentorship, confidence building, media training, and political campaign education are all essential skills that help empower women in politics. By mastering these skills at each club meeting, we are one step closer to reaching political equality.
