Hello friends!
If you know me via blog you know that I like to complain about school, if you know me in real life you know that I am about to wrap up my political science degree. It’s been an interesting obstacle, trying my best to keep politics off of my blog (in real life I talk about it so much that my phone literally autocorrects the word “us” to “U.S.“) Mainly because, I mostly blog about cute things like my kids, my clothes, or my house. There are few “pretty things” about politics. But it struck my fancy in the 12th grade, in the classroom of one of my favorite teachers of all time.
The other day someone at work was utterly shocked when I told him my major, and he looked at me flabbergasted and said “WHY would you want to work in politics?!” Now, there is a long winded answer to this question. But his question really go me to critically thinking about the answer, and the thought process led me through the list of people women in the political world who continue to inspire me.
Feminism haters, stand down.
There is also a long winded answer for why I chose to limit this list to women. Yes, there are also a good variety of men in the field I find awe-worthy, but I believe that the presence of women in such a male dominated field is inspirational in itself.
I suppose I shall start with the obvious and the controversial…
Hillary Clinton
This is not to say that I support her entire political platform nor does it declare my stance on “email scandals.” People love to hate her, but one cannot deny the female political presence that is Hillary Clinton. I particularly like that she was is adamant about the pursuit of her own dreams, instead of leaving them in the kitchen while her husband takes on the world. And whether you agree with her platform or not… she remains one of the only serious female contenders for President in U.S. history.
She is imperfect, but it is my humble opinion that she catches more flack than her male counterparts. But navigating the world of feminine and maternal expectations while campaigning for one of the most powerful positions in the world, previously reserved only for men, is a daunting task…and one that she handles, for the most part, with grace. <Longest run on sentence ever written.
Amal Alamuddin Clooney
You may know her as “George Clooney’s wife,” (because apparently that’s how the Associated Press knows her) which is a serious disservice to her impressive career in international law. OMGOSH am I enthralled. Not only does she manage to be completely fabulous, she’s brilliant. My concentration is in the realm of Global Studies, and Amal’s list of notable cases is drool worthy for a nerd like myself, and includes significant clients like Julian Assange. She basically has my dream resumé. She is a renowned Human Rights Lawyer who has been affiliated with Sullivan and Cromwell and the United Nations, and has represented clients at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. She worked in the Office of the Prosecutor at the UN for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (my particular area of study and subject of my thesis this year.) She’s powerful, she’s accomplished, she’s gorgeous, and she had it all before she even bagged George Clooney. #GirlCrush
Malala Yousafzai
Barely of age and yet a profound influence of political force around the world. You likely know the story of her being shot by the Taliban on her way to school…but are you aware of the ripple effect it has had? Or that she was resisting terrorist occupation long before she was shot into global notoriety? At 11 years old she was blogging under a pseudonym for BBC about what life for an average girl was like under terrorist occupation. She has ignited a global movement for education equality and stands fearlessly in the face of violent oppression. I believe that she also symbolizes an overcoming of cultural barriers, as she is celebrated in the United States, Africa, and the Middle East unanimously.
The list goes on friends… but this post is already pretty long, my bad. I think that most people take politics at face value, because they grow tired of the petty politics at home. But I love that it is such a broad and versatile subject. I love that it changes everyday. I am a self proclaimed “culture vulture” and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life learning the social problems and possible solutions unique to every situation.
Are you into politics? Who do you find inspiring?
