Our world as we know it is made possible by women, yet the future of our society is disproportionately controlled by men. There’s a reason there hasn’t been a single female president in the United States’ history. As a country that has served as an advanced, diverse role model for the globe, what role are we really playing? Is our government failing to represent all of our people or give them an equal chance at success? Leadership roles are incredibly difficult for women to obtain, and maintaining such positions is an even greater challenge.
We, as high school students, have experienced this firsthand. Even on a smaller political scale, our Punahou School Class of 2027 has reflected a lack of female representation in our student government. Each grade from ninth to 12th has its own six-member student council — a president, vice president, secretary and three senators. Our Class of 2027 currently has a student government dominated by men, with only one female senator, Scarlett Lai.
When asked how she felt about being the sole girl on the council, Lai stated, “It can be difficult not having another girl on the student government for support. To get my ideas acknowledged, I often have to put in more work.” She also shared how being the only young woman doesn’t portray the best picture to the rest of the high school community, especially as a student body that has been taught the importance of gender equality.
Considering that 52% of the total candidates were female, only one securing a position was shocking to both the candidates who pursued a position, and the students whose unconscious biases may have been the cause.
We also spoke with Punahou’s senior class president, Jade McGuinn, a changemaker throughout the Academy. During her campaign, McGuinn struggled to find the confidence to run, considering the lack of female role models she could look up to or seek advice from. Ultimately, McGuinn was elected senior class president, but still felt she wasn’t a deserving candidate. It was only until McGuinn’s speech at Convocation that she truly felt empowered to be president and owned her position as the leader of the senior class.
Women shouldn’t have to feel as if our wins aren’t rightfully ours. After working endlessly toward our goals, why must we then strive to justify them — to others and ourselves?
Bias is at the heart of all these issues. If prior generations weren’t raised around the false premise that a man is more capable of leading than a woman, today’s students wouldn’t be subconsciously enforcing this harmful standard. Ignoring the leadership skills of women is ignoring the science that proves how truly beneficial they are.
The American Psychological Association has done decades of research to show how female leaders “demonstrate more transformational leadership styles” by being more empathetic, resilient, persuasive and humble than their male counterparts. These interpersonal skills ultimately carry companies and governments to greater success rates, allowing them to drive optimal results and effective civic policies — essential for a productive society.
The youth of today have proved themselves to be the leaders of tomorrow, but just as important are the students whose voices will shape our future.
As Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” It is our responsibility to defy the status quo and pave the way for the young girl with a dream to run for president, and create a reality where she can do so.
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Sofia Pomares Sotomayor, Julia Saines and Sydney Chung are students at Punahou School, Class of 2027.
“Raise Your Hand,” a monthly column featuring Hawaii’s youth and their perspectives, appears in the Insight section on the first Sunday of each month. It is facilitated by the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders.
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