New Year, New Congress?

The month of January symbolizes new beginnings and the excitement that comes with a new calendar year. While many are looking ahead to a clean slate, it is also imperative to

not only remember but appreciate past events and their impact on our futures.

Ninety years ago this month, the first woman ever was elected to the United States Senate. Hattie Wyatt Caraway was a democrat who represented Arkansas; she was elected via special election in 1932 when her husband passed away. However, she went on to be reelected in 1938! Therefore, Caraway broke numerous glass ceilings by becoming the first woman to be elected and then also the first to be reelected to the Senate. But, Caraway was not stopping at those accomplishments. She was the first woman ever to chair a Senate committee and also the first woman to preside over the Senate! The icon accomplished these feats despite facing fervent opposition from her male colleagues, who claimed she would be lucky to achieve one percent of the vote in just the special election. Caraway evidently worked tirelessly to accomplish a plethora of firsts for women regarding the Senate.

Although Caraway made exponential strides in regards to women’s senatorial representation almost one hundred years ago, women are still severely underrepresented and overlooked on the Hill. Currently, women make up less than one-fourth of the Senate, despite comprising over half of the United States population. Female senators and politicians alike sadly still face the same derogatory rhetoric and doubt from their male colleagues that Caraway did. What has stalled such changes for almost one hundred years? The press has continually focused on female politicians’ clothing choices (from AOC to Kyrsten Sinema) rather than women’s intelligence, grit, and efforts on the Hill.

So, in this new year, how will we hold our leaders and media outlets accountable for the sexist agenda that is continually perpetuated in the US? Furthermore, how can we look ahead to make more remarkable strides for women’s representation in 2022 while also appreciating those who brought us to our current state. With the midterm elections coming up in 2022, we can only hope and work to see more women representing us in Congress.

Written By: Sophi Snyder