Today is a turning point. Today Emerge Vermont redoubles our efforts to fulfill our mission of training as many women as possible to run for office.
We must elect more women in Vermont to protect the rights of women in our state and do everything we can to serve as an example for other states.
For almost our country’s entire history our institutions have been dominated by white, conservative, wealthy men. We have normalized majority male leadership.
It’s time to normalize majority women leadership. Because until we do, women everywhere—and the children and families they support—will continue to suffer.
Former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg once was asked when she thought there would be enough women on the Supreme Court. Her answer was, “When there are 9.”
Until there is a majority of women in all our institutions—including the Vermont legislative, executive, and judicial branches—women will never be able to secure the rights we deserve, most importantly our right to bodily autonomy.
Until women are at every table, and until women’s life experiences are respected and believed, we will not have equal rights. Whether the topic is reproductive liberty, housing, food insecurity, healthcare, workforce, or climate change, until women have the majority stake we will never achieve all the change we need to secure equal rights for all.
We will elect more women on local governing boards. We will send more women to the Vermont Legislature. We will elect more women to statewide office. We will send women to Congress.
We must. We cannot fail. Our entire country’s future depends on it.