Women currently make up not only 50.8 percent of the overall population, but previously made up 63 percent of the votes in the 2016 primary elections and continue to outnumber male voters in non-presidential elections, such as the midterms. In such a tumultuous political climate, it is more imperative than ever to educate people on how important it is to get out and vote in every election. With the long history of women’s suffrage that led to the 19th Amendment, the power of the female vote and its legacy should be respected by going out and voting.

Theresa Siaw, Director of Business Development at OMNI Healthcare, community activist and candidate for Alderwoman in Chicago’s 26th Ward in Chicago, is doing her part to honor the women that came before her who fought for the right to vote. She is also paving the way for more women to get involved in politics, whether it be exercising their own right to vote or running for office!

In the mid 1800s, women began fighting for their right to vote with the Women’s Right Movement being launched on a national level. It was a decades long fight before women were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920. While women may have earned the right to vote almost 100 years ago, they still fight a continued battle to be taken seriously in politics on every governmental level. Although white women earned their right to vote in the '20s, African Americans were not able to vote in some states until the 1960s.

Not only have women long been fighting to be taken seriously as politicians, women’s rights have been at the forefront of the political conversation for decades. Male politicians have been making decisions that primarily impact women without any female input or representation. Despite the push back from most men in politics and the general population, women are fighting harder than ever to get their voices heard.

In recent years, women have been putting past stereotypes behind them and are turning out to run for politics in record numbers. Since women make up a majority of the population and a majority of voters who turn out to vote, it makes them a powerful force in elections. It also gives them the power to inform policy makers on every level of government.

Although women possess this power, they continue to be underrepresented as a presence in politics. In 2015, only 20 percent of the entire Senate was made up of women. In the House of Representatives, only 19.3 percent was female, and only 24.2 percent of seats in state legislature across the country are occupied by females. Despite these numbers, more women are interested in running for office than ever before. As they say, if you want something done right, you must do it yourself — a saying many women are taking to heart when it comes to politics. Theresa is just one of many women looking to make a change for her fellow women and her community by using her voice to make positive changes.

Since the “Year of the Women" (1992), 2018 has shown the highest number of women turning out to run for office. Records show that at least 575 women have declared their intention to run for either the House, Senate or Governor, and those are just the numbers on the national level. Many women, similar to Theresa, want to see changes made on every level of elected officials and are making their voices heard and their names known. Like most women who decide to run for office, Theresa kept hearing that she should run and turn her current philanthropic efforts in the community into something larger, to become the change she wishes to see in her community.

Theresa is just one woman fighting to be taken seriously in the political spectrum, but she is part of a much bigger movement. Women are showing up in record numbers to let the public know that they are here to have their voices heard. Whether it is a spark ignited by the current state of politics or if women are just tired of sitting on the sidelines, they are fighting to make their voices heard, get policies changed and make a positive difference. No political office is too small to make a change, a fact Theresa is taking to heart in her race for Alderwoman and in her encouragement to other women to run for office in their own communities.

Marge Fields

Writing since October 2018 · 1 story contributed