(Eric Frey)
The Democrats have won a solid majority in the House of Representatives under the leadership of current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. It is widely presumed that she will take up the gavel as the next speaker of the House, a position that has never been held by a woman. As speaker, Pelosi would be two steps from the presidency, the first woman in elected office to be that close to the White House. While her leadership of the Democratic majority must still be confirmed by vote, she led the most cohesive Democratic caucus in decades during 2005 and her success at spearheading the takeover of the House makes her an undeniably capable leader.
Nevertheless, Pelosi faces challenges, not only as the leader of a politically diverse Democratic caucus, but also as a woman in a position of political leadership. While main media outlets have been focusing less on Pelosi's status as the first woman speaker and more on her leadership qualities, purported liberalness and the potential difficulty of reigning in liberal and moderate Democrats, her fate as speaker is being watched closely by women and men across America. Will this be the jolt of femininity in politics needed to invigorate the public's confidence in women as politicians, as leaders and even as president? Or will she be put to a double standard because she is a woman? Already, Pelosi is likened to the grandmother of the House; will seemingly positive metaphors enable Pelosi's tough line or cripple her appearance as a strong, competent leader?
Regardless, as a woman in the highest level of elected leadership second only to the vice president and the commander-in-chief, Pelosi will set a precedent for future women leaders in Congress and beyond. She had already begun to chip away at what she calls the "marble ceiling" of the Capitol during her four-year tenure as minority leader - as speaker, Pelosi is empowered to set the stage for much more.
It is the hope of many that Pelosi will encourage other congresswomen to take on leadership roles by enabling connections and building relationships in a similar manner to the so-called boy's club of Congress. As head of the majority party in the House, Pelosi also has fund raising star power, enough to bring in ample dollars for up-and-coming women politicians.
Although she has emphasized bipartisanship in her new leadership role, Pelosi is dedicated to the Democrats, and therefore, her gains for women will be weighted toward one political party. However, in order for women to truly gain entry into U.S. politics, both parties must participate in the financial and political support of women politicians within their ranks.
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