In October of this year, as one of 20 alumni of the Community Solutions program, I had the opportunity to follow the election campaigns of several female candidates in the state of Minnesota.
Thanks to my collaboration with the Minnesota Women's Press and Editor-in-Chief Mikki Morrisette, I got a peek at a few major events, went inside the State Capital, and went door-knocking in the days leading up to the vote.
There are many things that I recognize as important to “rewrite” in our country (Bosnia and Herzegovina), but it would be irresponsible on my part not to say that there are similarities between our country and the USA. When I collect my impressions, I realize that there are several problems that plague us all globally and because of this we do not see so many differences between large and small countries.
The lack of women in politics, i.e. the inability to get into decision-making positions, dirty political campaigns that reveal gender inequality, and great divisions in the understanding of what democracy means.
However, there are several things that are worth underlining and pointing out as positive examples from which there is much to learn.
The two weeks of my stay brought me to the verge of tears several times because of the positive feeling that the young women running for different political positions caused in me. Those in their twenties talked about the challenges they faced because of their background, age, or simply the pervasive gender inequality. However, what I have not seen in our country for a long time, I recognized in them, is the courage to be loud, to be present, and not to base their campaigns on unrealistic promises but on realistic solutions for which they already have ready plans.
It is worth mentioning that these elections are taking place at a time when many states in the USA are facing the possibility of banning abortion, which is an unimaginable move in the 21st century.
Many say that youth comes bundled with crazy courage, but it was refreshing to witness reasoned courage for the first time.
Most of all, as a lesson for all of us, is the support that the female candidates gave each other. I have never seen so many united, smart women in one place as at an event organized by Ayada Leads, ready to convince you why you should support and vote for their colleagues instead of just focusing on themselves and their campaign.
This is the key thing that I believe resulted in numerous victories, that are, historical victories in the 164 years of the existence of the state of Minnesota.
Some skeptical heads would say that these are women who recognize each other by age, so this is the reason for their mutual support. However, they all have one thing in common, which is that, specifically at this event, they unanimously expressed their gratitude to former senator Patricia Torres Ray, who they say paved the way for all of them to come.
In a conversation with Senator Torres Ray, I discover how important this mutual support of women is, regardless of whether we have the same agenda. According to her, each of us has the power to expand on important topics for the other women and that is sometimes the key role of helping each other.
When I asked why she decided to retire, because that is almost unthinkable in Bosnia and Herzegovina once you “win” a position, the senator says that she understands that she has to make room for new ideas and new women. Staying in one position for too long can often represent lulling that does not provide room for a wide range of actions, and this sentence alone convinced me that I have the right person for open conversation in front of me.
The doors of the State Capitol in St. Paul were opened for me by Senator Mary Kunesh where we talked about how to bring concrete change once you are elected to the position she is in. The rare opportunity to listen live the speech of the Vice President of the USA, Kamala Harris, raised my experience to a higher level because she gave me an insight into the thoughts of the most powerful woman in America at the moment who is also part of historic moments.
During the pre-election campaigns, I followed doorknocks for Clare Omou Verbeten and Maria Isa Perez Vega. It's a completely different experience where during the campaign the female candidates are not on field just with members of their political parties. There are ordinary citizens who deeply believe that these women can represent exactly themselves as citizens and who dedicate their time to that goal.
Clare answered for me the question of what was the most beautiful but also the most challenging thing for her in this campaign, and you can listen to her answer at the link below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkvpAdJq-XZ/
The masterful results and historic victories that I witnessed a few days after arriving home were the icing on the cake when it comes to my unique experience. Apart from the fact that almost all the women I had the opportunity to meet were elected to political positions for which Clare, with whom I spoke, will go down in Minnesota history as one of the first 5 black women elected to the state senate.
When I sum up this experience, one thing is ultimately the most important to me. We must never give in to even subconscious stereotypes that male politicians seem more confident in their performance, more ready for “difficult political battles” and better leaders. Let's give women a chance because the strength they carry inside is ready to change this world and the direction it is heading in the future. If I'm talking only to women, let's not pass each other's chair on the way to the top, but give each other a hand. As long as a hand is extended to us, we create a better future together, not only for all our future daughters but for all of us who live on this planet.
This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IREX.
