Glass ceiling persists for women leaders

By Farida Jalalzai, Virginia Tech A hand fan depicting Kamala Harris lies on the sidewalk in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 6, 2024. Bastien Inzaurralde/AFP via Getty Images Kamala Harris was a candidate of many firsts, including the first Black and South Asian woman to run for president as the Democratic nominee. Her resounding, swift loss in the presidential race to Republican Donald Trump on Nov. 5, 2024, means many things to different people, including the fact that American voters are unable to break the glass ceiling and elect a woman as president. Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Farida Jalalzai, a scholar of women political leaders and gender in politics, to better understand the significance of Harris’ defeat – and how the U.S. stands apart from other countries that have had female leaders. Kamala Harris supporters react to the election results on Nov. 5, 2024. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images How important was Kamala Harris’ gender in her loss? I can’t say it was a main reason she lost. But what I can say is it was a factor that contributed to her lack of support, especially when you compare her performance with...