Equality is one of the words often associated with the United States. As Americans we take pride in our Democratic nation, yet as the ’08 presidential elections draw near, most voters are still hesitant about the possibility of having a woman president. Why are we so afraid to take this next big step? Women have come a long way since the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. There are women in all fields and walks of life: doctors, lawyers, assistant generals, journalists, senators, majors, governors, astronauts, and more. Now the time has come for a woman to walk among a bigger path of life; the path to the White House.

Some people argue that a woman can not be president because women are too emotional. However, when so many of our soldiers are fighting and dying in a war that is still undefined, some sensitivity will not do any harm. There are those who say that a female president will not be able to make quick decisions when the nation is in distress.

Perhaps a president, who thinks things twice over before making irrational decisions, will not be such a bad thing.

There are so many arguments against electing a woman as the president of the U.S. All these arguments are irrelevant considering the fact that our male presidents have not done such a great job. Every president is human; they all have strengths and weaknesses. All presidents have made good decisions and bad decisions. As a country that treasures equality, we have the responsibility to not make any bias assumptions. How do we know that a woman can not be a good president? We will not know unless we give women a chance and the benefit of a doubt.

India, a country in which women were traditionally subservient to men, appointed Indira Gandhi, a woman, to the high position of prime minister in 1967. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the current president of Liberia, a third world country; likewise, Megawati Sukarnoputri was elected president of Indonesia in July 2001, a country that has one of the biggest Muslim majorities.

Women in America enjoy many freedoms that are not granted to women in countries such as Afghanistan or Iran. For example, we as American women can wear whatever we want and call it a personal fashion statement. In many countries, such as Iran, women do not have this freedom. Women in the U.S. can become CEO’s, chiefs of staff at hospitals, and doctors in the army.

Thus, it is difficult to understand the logic behind the doubt that surrounds the idea of having a female president. Is the United States ready to join these countries in giving women the opportunity to fill the most coveted position in the country? I say that we are ready for a change; a woman’s perspective.

The history of women is incorporated with all sorts of struggles. Women have had to fight tooth and nail for everything: The right to vote, the right to attend medical school, the right to join the army, the right to have an abortion, and the right to run for Congress.

The time has now come for women to win their biggest battle yet.

Women can be sensitive and strong, vulnerable and courageous, impulsive and cautious. Thus, to those who argue that women are too emotional, too sensitive, or that they are incapable of taking action, I say, let us put our prejudices aside and look at the bigger picture. Perhaps, a female can bring many great changes to our government and this country. The presidential elections should not be a battle of the sexes. It should be about choosing a leader, whether male or female, that will lead this wonderful country into the future and sustain the essence of democracy.

Furthermore, I am both optimistic and excited about the prospect of a woman in the White House. Whether the ’08 presidential elections will be the milestone that women are looking for, that is a question that is yet to be answered.