WASHINGTON (Dunya News) – For the first time in US history, more than 100 Democratic women are set to serve in the House of Representatives at the same time, according to election results, a milestone being described as a significant step for women's representation in American politics.
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico, who chairs the Democratic Women's Caucus, said in a statement that women had made history with their votes, electing over 100 Democratic women to the House.
She said women bore the brunt of the Trump administration's policies and the Republicans' extremist agenda, and that in the recent elections they made clear through their votes that they are unhappy with the current state of affairs.
Elect Democratic Women, the caucus's electoral arm, had set the goal of winning 100 seats from the start of the campaign. Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel, a founding member of the organization, said getting 100 women into the House is an important symbolic achievement, though the party wants to elect even more.
The milestone is the result of decades of political struggle, candidate preparation and fundraising. Organizations including EMILY's List helped Democratic women enter races and run successful campaigns. EMILY's List President Jessica Mackler said the result proves that women can win when given opportunities and resources.
Women won 18 of the 40 seats Democrats picked up in the recent elections. Voter anger over inflation, rising prices of essential goods and perceptions of corruption played an important role in these victories.
Some women defeated incumbents from their own party. Among them are Georgia's Jasmine Clark, Colorado's Melat Kiros and New York's Darializa Avila Chevalier.
Clark will be the first Black woman with a PhD in science to serve in Congress, while Kiros will be the first Black woman to represent Colorado and the first Gen Z woman in Congress.
Women make up roughly half of the US population, but account for only 28 percent of Congress. Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress in 1917, after which women waged a long struggle for political representation and equal rights.
According to political observers, the expected win of more than 100 Democratic women reflects women's growing role in American politics and could pave the way for greater female representation in the country's top political leadership in the future.