What Will it Take to Make a Woman

President?
Why havent we ever had a woman president?
That was the question that Marianne Schnalls 8-year-old-daughter asked her
during the 2008 election that gave her pause. The writer, author and Executive
Director of Feminist.com said she didnt have an answer for her daughter. So she
set out to find one.
What resulted is her new book: What Will It Take to Make A Woman President?:
Conversations About Women, Leadership and Power. Marianne didnt just ponder
the question, she interviewed an impressive group of more than 45 men and
women to get their insight into gender equality, the obstacles women still face and
what needs to change for us to welcome a female into the Oval Office. Among those
questioned were Sheryl Sandberg, Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Nancy Pelosi,
Nicholas Kristof and Joy Behar.
We caught up with Marianne to ask about the project, memorable moments from
her hours of interviews and see how she would answer her daughters question
today.

TSR: I love the story of how this project came about: an honest, nononsense question from your daughter. Were you shocked at the time
that you did not have an answer for her, especially considering your
work with Feminist.com and writing on gender issues? And what
exactly did you struggle with in answering her question: the fact that
you believed there were too many factors keeping a female from the
Oval Office, or that you couldnt really pinpoint what was still holding
women back after all of the recent achievements towards equality?
Schnall: When Lotus asked that question, Why havent we ever had a woman
president? I think it wasnt as much that I didnt have an answer for her

necessarily, but that I had so many and it felt hard to boil it down into a short
and simple statement for me to deliver to an eight-year-old girl in a way that would
empower her rather than dis-empower her. It was then that I realized that her
question was a lens to discuss some of the most important, timely questions of our
time, and because of that, it would benefit from getting a variety of perspectives
and experiences. I realized that my challenge in answering it was because there was
not one answer, but rather a variety of ways of looking at that question that would
hopefully help highlight the problems so we could create awareness and develop
solutions.
TSR: What surprised you while working on this book? Did any of the
interviewees shock you with their answers? Which ones?
Schnall: What surprised me was the passionate and helpful response from the
people I approached for interviews for the book not only in their interest and
willingness to be interviewed, but in wholeheartedly supporting this project by
making further suggestions of people I should talk to and often providing me with
their contact information. It really felt like a collective effort and still does. I had
originally planned to do only about 20 interviews for this book but I wound up
doing nearly 50, so there is also an e-book version of the book with 19 additional
interviews. It felt like this was a timely topic that people cared about and wanted to
talk about.
As for specific interviews that surprised me or shocked me, they all had their own
moments and their own special take, which is what happens when you speak to
everyone from Joy Behar to Nancy Pelosi to Nicholas Kristof or Melissa Etheridge
men, women, republicans, democrats. I think what made this so interesting to
me are all the various perspectives and ways of looking at it. Perhaps that is one
surprise: although our country and our government feels so split on so many issues,
I found so much unity around this particular issue; this is not a partisan issue and
there was uniformity from both members of both political parties around the need
and benefits of having more women leaders in politics and throughout all sectors of
society.
Although our country and our government feels so split on so many issues, I
found so much unity around this particular issue; this is not a partisan issue and

there was uniformity from both members of both political parties around the
need and benefits of having more women leaders in politics and throughout all
sectors of society.
TSR: You did dozens of interviews for the book and the e-book, many of
which provide insightful thoughts on equality and leadership, and even
advice for women. Which one or two conversation still stick out in your
mind and why?
Schnall: Honestly, all of the interviews were compelling to me so it is really hard
to single out just a few. I enjoyed and learned from each one. One story that stuck
out and was talked about frequently by many of the female senators was the
importance of these monthly bi-partisan dinners they have been having together
for many years, where they get together and, although they may talk a little bit
about policy, they mostly just connect as women and talk about their lives, their
children, the challenges theyre facing, just getting to know each other and how
that spills over to when they do get back to work, they see each other as human
beings rather than as faceless political adversaries and can more easily work
together to find compromises or solutions when there are differences.
I was also very struck with my interview with Republican Governor of Oklahoma,
Mary Fallin. She talked a lot about her own inspiring personal story, for example
how she managed to juggle her career and campaigning while also being a single
mother to two children and caring for her ailing mother all at the same time. I also
was very affected by my interview with Maya Angelou, who looked at this from a
broader cultural perspective, and her moving recollecting of her reaction to Barack
Obamas election and her optimistic sense that, as she told me, we are growing out
of our idiocies racism and sexism and ageism and all those ignorances.
I was also just really heartened by the allegiance of the men I spoke with, such as
NFL veteran and social activist Don McPherson, who talked about not only the
need for men to support womens equality, but also his own experience and
perspective on how gender roles and constrictive notions of masculinity negatively
impact men and boys as much as they do women and girls. And journalist Nicholas
Kristof similarly told me he was wary of the idea that only women should be
advocating for womens issues, pointing out if it had only been African American

people writing about civil-rights issues, or gay people advocating for gay rights,
those issues would never have gotten the kind of national attraction that they did. I
think that point and involving men is important: this has to be reframed from
being a womens issue to be seen as, as Kristof put it, a major issue of human
rights and justice and of making the system work that affects all of us and as a
matter of diversity and what is necessary to create a reflective democracy.
journalist Nicholas Kristof similarly told me he was wary of the idea that
only women should be advocating for womens issues, pointing out if it had only
been African American people writing about civil-rights issues, or gay people
advocating for gay rights, those issues would never have gotten the kind of
national attraction that they did.
TSR: After contemplating and gathering all of these amazing insights
and ideas on this topic, what do you believe is one thing we could do as
a society to help bring a strong, female leader into the White House?
I think just continuing the conversation and becoming more aware will go far
toward discovering solutions and creating a world where a woman can achieve that
milestone. The more we become aware, I think we will find many entry points for
change available to us whether it is through supporting the many great groups
and programs working on these issues, working for policies and programs that
support working mothers and families, speaking out against sexist media coverage
of women or female leaders, or even just the more conscious messages we deliver to
our sons and daughters, there are so many ways to be a part of this change.
And a lot of people I interviewed, from Donna Brazile to Lieutenant Governor of
California Gavin Newsom, spoke about how important it is for all of us to use our
own individual power as citizens to support and campaign for the candidates we
believe in, to speak out on the issues we care about impacting women and
otherwise, and of course, to exercise our right to vote. And just to realize we can all
be leaders in our own lives and communities. There are many ways we can use our
voices and talents in the world men and women. The more we see women
leading in their own way, the more comfortable we will be as society with women
leaders, which will help to dismantle harmful stereotypes and barriers. These are

all ways that will help us create a world in which not only can a woman can be
president, but all people can be emboldened to achieve their full human potential.
TSR: Do you feel now that you have an answer for your daughter? What
would you answer to her today if she asked, Why havent we ever had a
woman president?
I might now hand her the book! Though obviously I now have a greater
understanding and much more information on this topic because of doing this
book, it is still a challenge to distill it simply into a short answer. I would generally
say to her that historically there have been people who have thought that women
werent equal to men or could do the same things that men can do and though
there are fewer people who still think that way, there are still some remaining
beliefs and obstacles that continue to hold women back. But I would remind her
that not only are women just as capable as men, but we need women in these
influential roles to help shape the world, and that there has been a lot of progress
and great work being done to create equality.
And I would tell her my optimistic sense that many people believe we are now
ready to elect our first female president, and that I am confident she will see a
woman president in her lifetime perhaps even in this next election and she can
aspire to be president herself if that is her passion and calling. I would also tell her
that I expect her daughter will not have to ask that question hopefully by then
she will have seen many female presidents!

Taken
from
president/

http://shriverreport.org/what-will-it-take-to-make-a-woman-