Women of the World React to Trump
For most Americans, political elections around the world are not on our radar screen. Sometimes a candidate or a campaign from outside rises to mainstream consciousness (Brexit, for example), but this is the exception. So it is always stunning to me the extent to which the world watches us. They not only know about our candidates and our political system, they are often emotionally invested in the outcomes. Below are a few conversations I've had post-election with women I know from around the world.
Liberia. Two days after the U.S. election, my organization Running Start had a video conference with women activists in Liberia. They told us that things will change in Liberia because of Trump's election. They believed that if Hillary Clinton had won the election, it would have been a turning point for the world. For America, the most powerful country in the world, to have elected a woman as our leader, would grant respect and status to women leaders around the world. They said that now their tribal leaders will say, "you see, we don't need to grant women respect." They view the election as a personal setback to their efforts to promote women's power.
Slovenia. At a conference I attended last week in Brussels, Sonya from Slovenia likened our presidential election to a natural disaster. But she said that she'd seen firsthand that America is an optimistic country that knows how to pick itself up from adversity. Her example was that after Mount St. Helens exploded in 1980, causing tremendous destruction, the Americans built a highway right up to the rubble so that people could come and witness what had happened. In Slovenia, she said, they cover up failure. In America, you build highways to it so that everyone can see it up close. You'll be fine, she said.
Belgium. My Turkish friend Serap said that on Jan. 21, women will march in Brussels in solidarity with the march for women in Washington. Other friends around the world are organizing marches in their cities, too, for the same day. They are marching with American women to show they are with us, but they are also marching for themselves, to say that their hearts are broken right along with ours.
Italy. My new Italian friend Ludovica left her job in London for four months to work on Clinton's campaign in Ohio. I asked her why she'd moved half way around the world on her own dime to support a political candidate from another country. She told me that Clinton was her biggest inspiration because she was not ashamed to be ambitious. Ludovica said Clinton on the debate stage facing up to Trump represented women around the world who struggle to be taken seriously. Ludo said Hillary stands for the issues that matter to her, and her success would have been a win for women everywhere. If she can do it, then so can we, Ludovica said.
Finally, I was in the outskirts of London recently having dinner with some British friends. The conversation over a long meal was all about the U.S. election – one guest told me that he had even set his alarm for 2 a.m. a few months ago so that he could catch the last presidential debate live. Everyone had strong opinions about the outcome. My friend Emma told me that she was in the same spot in her house, brushing her teeth when she heard the news about both Brexit and Trump's victory and that she felt the same despair. I asked if they were only talking about the election because I was there and they said absolutely not – they can't stop talking about it. The world is a smaller place than most Americans imagine and right now all eyes are on us.
