Why Kamala Harris as president would be a victory for the women's movement

In their hit ?Freedom? does Beyoncé sing about breaking the chains, tearing down walls and running against the storm? because a winner doesn't give up. The song is already 14 years old, but recently became relevant again. Because Kamala Harris used it in her first campaign video? with the express permission of Queen B.

?Freedom? (English for freedom) fits perfectly with the message Harris wants to send: "There are people who think we should be a country of chaos, fear and hate, but we, we choose something different. We choose freedom? says Kamala Harris in her video.

She was also interested in freedom at the beginning of the year on her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour through the USA. At the time, she said, "I will continue to fight for our fundamental freedoms and bring together people across America who believe that every woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body." and not the government.? This also includes easier access to contraceptives for all women.

In July 2024, Joe Bieden withdrew his candidacy for president and instead nominated his running mate, Kamala Harris. This now pits a black woman against a white sexist. You could also say: It's a duel between patriarchy and feminism.

The fact that a woman of color is in charge for the first time in American history is a reason for all feminists to be happy. If she really manages to be the first woman to lead the United States, it would be a huge milestone. But unfortunately we now know that not every woman in a top position is an asset for the women's movement: Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and the AfD co-leader Alice Weidel in Germany show that even as a woman you can be a right-wing extremist and can be misogynistic.

But Kamala Harris is different: She publicly describes herself as a feminist. When she took office as vice president, she promised to work for better pay for women of color and better career opportunities for girls. One of its core issues is protecting women's reproductive rights. In speeches and interviews, she repeatedly asks why women are not trusted to make decisions about their bodies themselves. In March she visited an abortion clinic ? no president or vice president has ever done that. A video went viral of Kamala Harris asking then-Supreme Court Justice candidate Brett Kavanaugh, "Can you think of any laws where the government decides over men's bodies?"

Kamala Harris was born in California in 1964. Her mother was the Indian-born breast cancer researcher Shyamala Gopalan, and her father was the Jamaican economist Donald J. Harris. Both were active in the civil rights movement. And Kamala Harris also knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career: After her best friend was sexually harassed by her stepfather, she vowed to become a prosecutor? to protect girls and women from violence.

None of this goes down well with men: According to a survey by YouGov and the Economist? Only 39 percent of men surveyed want to vote for Kamala Harris, while 47 percent said they would vote for Donald Trump. However, things are completely different for young women. It's hard to avoid fan videos about Kamala Harris on Instagram, TikTok and X.

One reason: Since Charli XCX released her new album ?brat? GenZ is celebrating the “Brat Girl Summer” there. When the singer herself uttered the phrase “kamala IS brat?” posted, that was an accolade. Particularly clever of her campaign team: her social media campaign is based on the green and black aesthetic of the ?brat? album cover.

At the same time, Kamala Harris has already been the target of numerous sexist and racist attacks online. So the battle between feminism and patriarchy continues. But feminism has a good chance: a 2020 study showed that 61 percent of American women see themselves as feminists. Now it will be seen whether they really are?