An article published in The Atlantic discusses the negative impacts for women’s political empowerment of the so-called ‘system of beauty’. This expression refers to the systematic referral to women’s appearance, instead of focusing the attention on their political skills. Even when it’s praise and compliments, talking about the looks of women politicians makes it harder for them to develop fully their political capacities, as they are subjected to a different demeaning measure than their male counterparts.

The NEW Leadership National Network is a national nonpartisan program to educate college women about politics and leadership and encourage them to become effective leaders in the political arena. It was created in 1991 by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), with the idea of teaching college women the value of civic engagement and the importance of having women in positions of political leadership.

On the occasion of Equal Pay Day, President of the United States Barack Obama, designated America’s newest National Monument, the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument.

Dr. Jill Lepore, Professor of American History at Harvard University, has published an article in The New Yorker, entitled ‘The Sovereignty of Women’. The article deals with the historical difficulties of women to be fully recognized as political subjects, and how this historical tension is affecting modern American politics and, in particular, the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Dr. Lepore explains how the political empowerment of women was historically contested, both from philosophers such as John Locke, and from politicians.