Nelson Mandela once said, “If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don’t ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when we have elections, they want observers.” What Mandela meant is that there is a perception that countries besides the USA or Britain (and other global north countries) are not capable of carrying out democratic processes. Underlying this perception is a racist assumption that Africans, Asians and other non-white people cannot advance politically without the influence of the global north.
In recent months I have been observing the way in which the Hillary Clinton campaign for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the U.S. presidency has come under scrutiny because she is failing to attract women voters in large numbers. Her failure is in stark contrast to how some global south countries have successfully elected women to numerous political positions, including head of state (more on this later).
Hillary Clinton is the first woman with a strong chance of winning the United States presidential elections. It is a pivotal moment for U.S. politics, for feminists, and for the cause for gender equality in the United States. The big question for women, and progressive men, is whether to vote for Clinton.