During her triumphant speech last night, Hillary Clinton officially accepted the Democratic nomination with "humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America's promise," becoming the first woman in the nation's history to lead a major political party—nearly a century after women first secured the right to vote. It’s a major milestone in American history, and of course, should she win in November, she’ll be the nation’s first-ever head of state.
But America is far from the first country to consider putting a woman in charge. Clinton follows notable women leaders like Israel’s Golda Meir, the U.K.’s Margaret Thatcher, and Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was celebrated by the United Nations for breaking several “glass ceilings” at once: In 2006, she was the first woman to be elected as a head of state in Africa—and she was the first black woman to be elected president, ever.
Last year, a study from the PEW Research Center revealed that about one in 10 world leaders are women. Despite a few updates here or there, that ratio still holds true. Yes, the whole world has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to gender parity in politics. But as Clinton gets closer to being named the leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, more women everywhere will know that finally, it’s true—little girls can be anything they want to be.
