New Delhi: Appointment of Nirmala Sitharaman as Defence Minister has started a discussion all over again of women in powerful positions. History hasn't always been kind to women who want to serve their country by entering the political area. However, that hasn't stopped them from doing so.
Whether they fought for women's rights, freedom from slavery, workplace fairness, education or their personal beliefs, these women earned their place in history and paved the way for future generations.
The history of women in American politics too is just as long as that of the nation as a whole. Some of them wielded their influence in the nation's earliest days and others have only recently been elected to office. And, of course, that history is still being written by many women who have yet to make it to the history books.
Women who've served as US Secretary of State include some of the biggest names in the history of American politics. It would be impossible to sum up the complete role that women have played in the history of American politics but the following is a representative profile of some of the most important women in American history.
Although, the definition of a "famous woman" will vary between individuals, but there is no doubt that these women contributed importantly to the advancement of our society as well as the advancement of women in America. These are:
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins was not only the longest-sitting labour secretary in U.S. history but was also the first woman appointed to any U.S. Cabinet position, being placed there by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Fully supporting Roosevelt's New Deal policies, Perkins helped create laws to fight child labour, established the first minimum wage and overtime laws under the Fair Labour Standards Act, and she resisted having women enter the military during World War II so they could help support the civilian workplace. Much her of work as chairwoman of the President's Committee on Economic Security resulted in the passage of the Social Security Act of 1935.
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson
Wife to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson was an active presence in politics for decades serving in numerous capacities, but her passion was for the environment. Lady Bird campaigned heavily for the passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 and founded the National Wildflower Research Center. She was also an astute politician herself, helping launch her husband's political career, running his congressional office and representing First Lady Jackie Kennedy when she was unable to make appearances. In 1988, Lady Bird received the Congressional Gold Medal becoming the first wife of a president to receive it.
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to serve in Congress, representing New York in the House of Representatives. She spent much of her career fighting for educational opportunities and social justice by serving on the House Education and Labour Committee. Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, and in 1972 she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination during which she survived three assassination attempts. She once said she received more discrimination for being a woman than for being black.
Madeleine Albright
In 1997, she became the first woman to be Secretary of State nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and is the highest-ranking woman in the history of the US government. Born in the Czech Republic, she is an alumna of Wellesley College. She knew the importance of her work: she used her position to advocate for human rights, push NATO to intervene in Kosovo in 1999 and normalize U.S. relations with China and Vietnam, and became the first Secretary of State to travel to North Korea. Albright is currently a professor at Georgetown University.
Condoleezza Rice
Serving in President George W. Bush's administration, starting in 1989, she became the first African-American woman to serve as Secretary of State and then senior director of Soviet and East European Affairs for the National Security Council. Ms. Rice went on to become National Security Adviser in 2001, and in 2005 she was named secretary of State. A former provost and political science professor at Stanford, Rice has faced issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran's nuclear development, the Iraq war, and North Korea's nuclear weapons program, among others.
She held the record for most miles travelled by a Secretary of State until John Kerry broke it in April 2016; she got the White House to support nuclear negotiations with Iran and North Korea, and she was the first Secretary of State to go to Libya in over 50 years.
Janet Ann Napolitano
Janet Ann Napolitano (born on November 29, 1957) is an American politician, lawyer, and university administrator who served as the 21st Governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009 and United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, under President Barack Obama. She has been president of the University of California system since September 2013, shortly after she resigned as Secretary of Homeland Security.
In 2008, she was cited by The New York Times to be among the women most likely to become the first female President of the United States. Some political commentators had suggested a possible candidacy in the 2016 election. She had also been discussed as a contender for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.
She has been the first woman to serve in several offices, including Attorney General of Arizona, Secretary of Homeland Security, and president of the University of California.
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi made history in 2007 when she was named speaker of the House of Representatives. She is the highest-ranking elected woman in American history, and is second in line of presidential succession. A graduate of Trinity College, Ms. Pelosi has represented California since 1987 and was previously House Democratic leader. She is credited with building consensus and unifying the Democratic caucus that paved the way for the Democrats to take back the House in 2006 elections. Pelosi was a key player in getting the health-care reform legislation passed in the House in March 2010.
Hillary Clinton
In 2016, she was the first woman nominated by a major party for President of the United States. A lawyer by training, during her husband Bill Clinton's time as President, she was the first First Lady to have an office in the West Wing. From first lady to New York senator to presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton has worked for nearly two decades as an advocate for children, women, universal health coverage, and other causes. Prior to her unsuccessful run for the White House, she was also the first woman to serve as a U.S. Senator from New York (2001-2009). Clinton made a strong bid for the White House, running for president in 2008, but after a string of losses in the primaries Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in June. After Obama's victory in the presidential election, Clinton was named secretary of State.
Michelle Obama
The first African-American First Lady and a lawyer by training, Obama made the First Lady's role more relatable than ever by utilizing social media platforms to promote her healthy eating, arts, girls' education and college initiatives. One of her most significant legacies has been the first modernization of nutrition labels in over 20 years. Her popularity in the polls at times surpassed that of her husband, earning her the nickname "The Closer" on the campaign trail.
Serving as Secretary of State means a job filled with lots of travel - something that the 2013 Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, did impressively. Clinton visited a record 112 countries during her time in the office, and helped foster a rapport between the US and other countries’ leaders. Only one other Secretary of State logged more travel miles, and not by much. Condoleeza Rice, who served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, notched a record 1,059,247 miles travelling
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Madeleine Albright (1997) , Condoleezza Rice(2005) and Hillary Clinton(2009) are considered to be the highest-ranking women in the history of the Cabinet, having held the post of Secretary of State, the most senior cabinet position.
These women have served in one of the most important and prominent positions in the world.
Statistics of Notable women in US politics:
The Department of Labour has had the most female Secretaries with seven. The Department of Health and Human Services has had five, the departments of State, Transportation, Commerce, and Education have had three, and the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Justice have each had two. The defunct Department of Health, Education, and Welfare have also had two female Secretaries. The three departments of Defence, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs are the only existing Cabinet departments that have not had women Secretaries.
References:
www.deseretnews.com
http://time.com-women-political-history/
http://www.pbs.org
www.forbes.com
www.csmonitor.com