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It’s Election Day In America

It’s Election Day in America.  Without doubt, citizens of battleground states are eager for this day to be over so that they can return...

It’s Election Day in America.  Without doubt, citizens of battleground states are eager for this day to be over so that they can return to some semblance of normalcy – sans political attack ads and endless phone calls from pollster and campaigns.  But, we all must remember what a privilege it is to vote and the sacrifices made to afford us this right. On election days, I am reminded of the experiences I have had monitoring elections in the Middle East and North Africa region.  As part of an election observation team with the International Republic Institute, I witnessed poignant moments as generations of Tunisians and Jordanians stood in lines for hours to ensure their voices were heard in their historic elections, a first for many of them.  Mothers brought their children with them to vote – whispering the significance of that moment to the next generation.  Elderly women walked miles for the chance to cast their ballot for the first time in their lives.  And farmers, using donkeys as their mode of transport to the voting stations, dressed up for the special occasion, signifying their reverence for this sacred act. These memories are ones that replay in my mind as I fill in the bubbles for the candidates I support.  And, it reinforces the fact that we must not take this privilege for granted. Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, which ignited the entire region, exemplify the overwhelming human desire for freedom and democracy.  Freedom to make your voice heard without fear of retribution, freedom to gather around a cause, and freedom from tyrannical governments that oppress their citizens. But countries must understand that a critical component to these movements is women. In the cases of Tunisia and Egypt, women played a significant role in the revolutions.  Unfortunately, since those heady days of transformation, women have been sidelined.  Their rights are being debated in their respective constitutions, their active involvement in society is being challenged, and their voices are being stifled.  For countries to be free, stable and prosperous, women must be part of the equation. Through the George W. Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative, we are working to equip women across the Middle East and North Africa and around the world to be leaders in their respective countries, so that they might influence the direction of their nation.  We know that investing in these women will pay dividends toward peace. As our country learns the results of the 2012 election, my thoughts wander to those I’ve met with purple stained fingers who voted for the first time in their lives.  And I feel exceedingly grateful for those who have gone before me in my own country to give me the chance to make my voice heard.

This post was written by Charity Wallace, Director of the Women’s Initiative  at the George W. Bush Institute.