Minorities and Indigenous Women

As the Columbia City Council begins its first full week of business in the new year, it also marks the start of the tenures for two history-making women. Dr. Aditi Bussells and Tina Herbert, who were sworn in last week, are the second and third women of color to represent the city on council.

Tameika Isaac Devine, who held an at-large seat since 2002 and left office last week, was the first.

Ruwa Romman is entertaining the idea of running for office. The 28-year-old from Duluth envisions herself running on a platform focused on health care, education, social justice and the economy. She also wants to shatter stereotypes and challenge barriers placed on Muslim women.

“The stereotype is that Muslim women don’t vote. They do,” Romman said. “I got politically engaged outside of my Muslim identity, but then I quickly realized my Muslim identity was a necessity to bring with me in this journey.”

Every year, LGBTQ political candidates smash through rainbow ceilings in the fight to represent their communities. 2022 should be no different, with dozens of LGBTQ people already slated to run for both state and federal offices.

But here are five LGBTQ candidates we’re especially keeping our eyes on as they run to make history in 2022.

A sea of change is washing across New South Wales local government as more women and young people take up seats as councillors. Until recently, 22-year-old Imogen Draisma could not see herself reflected in the local council running her home city of Kiama, in the Illawarra.

"My ideas and [I] were not represented by the people that were purporting to represent me," Cr Draisma said.

In just two years, the pandemic has threatened decades worth of progress towards gender equality. As of December 2020, women suffered a net loss of over 5 million jobs due to COVID-19; in 2021, one in three women reported that they may end up downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely if conditions don’t improve in the United States.