by Kathryn O’Connor
Women have mobilized to become activists and advocates in this political cycle.
Ever since 2016, when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became a candidate in the presidential election, Democratic and progressive women are more energized at the possibility of a woman in leadership, said Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro, chair of the political science department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
“I think they were angry about the loss of their candidate,” Neathery-Castro said. “They also wanted to promote an agenda of women’s rights, and so, I think for a lot of those women are looking to 2020 to try to have another chance at electing a candidate that they think will serve their interests or their hopes.”
Progressive women who are concerned about issues such as reproductive rights, the economy and healthcare have involved themselves in several ways since 2016. This includes running for office.
In 2020, 26 women serve in the Senate; 101 women in the House and 127 women serve in the U.S. Congress, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
Kara Eastman, Democratic candidate for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, said she plans to use her platform for many issues, including the women’s rights.
“I would be the first woman elected to serve this district, and I think that is important because women deserve equal representation,” Eastman said. “There are people in this country especially men who want to take away civil rights from half the population.”
Eastman said she trusts women to make their own choices regarding their families and their health. She supports the concept of reproductive justice, according to her website.
Her priority is to ensure the U.S. is a safe space where domestic violence is not tolerated. A place where victims are protected and have access to resources, Eastman said.
Eastman’s campaign of women’s rights and family issues include pay equality, racial disparities in the American healthcare system and providing family leave as a part of our economic system.
“It is time for a change, for somebody who is actually going to be a champion for women’s rights,” Eastman said.
Women have stepped up in other ways to advocate for themselves.
“Women have been getting more involved in all kinds of politics and not just running for office,” Neathery-Castro said. “Sometimes, I think we oversimplify that.”
Kassidy Brown, a UNO senior, studying communication studies, has become a political advocate on social media. She uses Instagram Stories and Twitter to promote women’s reproductive rights.
“There are a lot of traumatic mental and physical aspects that go into a decision like that,” Brown said. “It will open a whole unsafe can of worms if that [Roe v. Wade] does happen to be overturned.”
The majority of Brown’s posts focus on maintaining Roe v. Wade’s precedent that guarantees a woman’s right to choose. Even if an individual does not agree with abortion, it’s still a part of fundamental healthcare, Brown said.
“I’m really trying to push the fact that these are human rights even if they don’t affect men as well,” Brown said. “Women are still human too.”
