One giant leap for WOMANKIND!

As Kamala Harris becomes the first Madam Vice President, we have to ask What’s taken so long?

- KARA O’NEILL

It’s 2021, and Kamala Harris is about to be sworn in as Madam Vice President of America. Although many countries have already elected female leaders, with the US being one of the world’s most powerful countries, this is a big step for women internationally. Finally. Not only is she the first woman to become Vice President, Harris, 56, is also the first woman of colour to ascend to such heights in the White House.

‘While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,’ she vowed in her acceptance speech. ‘Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.’ Just like Harris, millions of women globally are breaking through their glass ceilings, but while there have been huge strides forward in the past decades, even now, well into the 21st century, we still have a fight on our hands when it comes to equality and making a name for ourselves. Here, Woman celebrates those determined to fight to get to the top, and the obstacles they face.

WHO IS KAMALA HARRIS?

Born in Oakland, California, her Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father divorced when she was seven. After being raised by her Hindu single mother, Harr attended Howard University in Washington DC, where her interest in politics began.