Hot Topic: Female Presidents

Growing up, I never wanted to be president. I never wanted to be anywhere near the government building even. Politics was a man's field, and even though I was never explicitly told, I believed deep down that I didn't belong there. Even though Indonesia had a female president, she still stood alone amongst her 5 male counterparts. You don't have to be a political science major to realize that women are underrepresented in nearly every country, and are rarely (if any) a majority in the government.

Let's get to it:

This is an open letter to every country in the world who has never elected a female president, prime minister, or leader. If you have a young daughter and she asks you why there aren't many women in the government, what would you tell her? Simply put, it's pure sexism. There is nothing else that comes between women and a position as president except for men. 

Here's an example, Hillary Clinton's new duty as a grandmother has been discussed as a hindrance to her political responsibilities. She has become less adequate as a politician because she has a grandchild. Never mind the fact that Mitt Romney ran for presidency with 22 grandchildren and a family that would make the creator of Durex cry in shame. But somehow, Clinton as a grandmother of one is somehow worse that Romney as the grandfather of an entire village of babies?

While we're on the topic of good ol' Hillary Clinton, her wardrobe is also often criticized. The colors of her pantsuit. Her skirt. Her hair. She puts herself out there as a leader and walks off as a mannequin. Reporters always fuss over the use of her makeup and accessories. Why does this kind of nitpicking only happen to female authority? Why not nitpick the color of a senator's socks and what his tie really means, or the amount of wax he uses in his hair. Appearances matter, but somehow, women get the harsher end of the critic's stick, rendering them as no more than objects where their to-be-looked-at-ness is far more appealing than their plans for the country's future.

Political commentator Bill O'Reilly infamously said, "there's got to be a downside to have a woman president, right? Something that may not fit with that office, correct?" No, Bill, there really isn't. The fact that he thinks the office is exclusive to men says something about the state of politics in the country, doesn't it? Look, Bill, can I call you Bill? Here's the thing about having women presidents, we are no different than men. Whoa, I know. You better hold on to your horses there. Women do approach problems differently, but why is that seen as a terrible thing? As if men are always quality leaders? Did we forget about Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim Jong Il, George Bush, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, Benito Mussolini, Genghis Khan, Nero, Napoleon, Vladimir Putin and nearly every other dictator in history? Do you know what is the main difference between those past leaders and women? The fact that their gender was never questioned as a determining factor for their actions. Yes, they were terrible and downright mad, but their genitals have never been put in question. Their testosterone levels when invading a country were never discussed. Because men are seen as the default, while women are seen as the exception.

The main reason men have to prevent women in office is the fact that our PMS might interfere with our thinking. As if when we're on our period, we will automatically send shuttles to Russia (should I remind you that the Cuban Missile Crisis was led by men). Look, I will give you a little 911 on the female anatomy for all the men and politicians out there who are too busy snorting coke to read about this on Google. Before menstruation is PMS, which stands for Premenstrual Syndrome; here we have acne, anxiety, cravings, headaches, and mood swings. Then comes the one week of menstruation. During this time, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone (the male hormone) are produced by the ovaries. Meaning that if you think we're fucked up when we're on our period, it's because we have a tad bit more testosterone, which is what men have all the fucking time. Now, after all this is over, we will experience this wonderful weekly event again next month, and will do so for around 30-40 years. Now if you think that every month we go ballistic and order nukes from the black market, then you have it wrong. We are no crazier than the average Joe, and considering that most (or nearly all) wars were started by men, women are actually the sane ones here. Let me reiterate this point loud and clear, our PMS does not act like a bad hangover. We don't unconsciously do dumb shit, black out and wake up after a week going, "whoa did I really just repeal the Affordable Care Act? Aw shit." No, we are aware of everything around us. Always.

But if people are still concerned with women and PMS, then why not create a law that only allow women over 50 to run for office, since menopause starts around that age? Because just another bit of information here, periods don't last forever. Those who honestly believe that PMS will ruin an entire nation should be sent back to 6th grade biology. If PMS is such a threat to the country's security, then just let older women run. But of course that won't be law, because PMS is just too good a reason to keep women from becoming president.

There is no good reason behind keeping women from being leaders. None whatsoever. Women are no less adequate than men, sometimes we might be even more equipped than our male counterparts. Women are so used to being objects to look at and being seen as a life-giver that people forget how strong and intelligent we are. We are not just baby making machines with a great pair of boobs for men to ogle. We have brains, and souls, and perseverance, and we are so, so, so, so much more than what this patriarchal society defines us as. This goes not just for women in politics, but women who are underrepresented and patronized in any field of work. We need to eradicate this idea that women do not belong in certain places in the world, because we belong wherever life takes us. The road is clear and the only speed bumps are the ones made by misogynists. Women have to work twice as hard to get to where men are, and at the end of the day, any successful woman will still be seen as inadequate. We will never be enough, and I don't want to raise a daughter in a world with dichotomous boxes labeled 'Jobs for Men' and 'Jobs for Women'.

If we seek equality, then we must start at the house of lawmakers, for men are creating a nation, while women are creating a generation. While both should be noted as important duties, it is unfair to see the two as mutually exclusive.