Women have been shaping American politics since its beginning — organizing movements, expanding rights, and redefining leadership at every turn. But over the past decade, that long struggle has collided with a new wave of visibility and backlash.

⁠Emerge is now recruiting the class of 2026⁠

From the raw sexism of 2016, to the record-breaking “pink wave” of 2018, to the post-2024 debate over whether women are even electable, the story of women in politics reveals how deeply gender still defines power in America. In this episode, A’shanti Gholar, President and CEO of Emerge, traces that arc — and explains why women aren’t stepping back.

She calls it the Kamala Effect: the surge of women still running, organizing, and leading despite unprecedented hostility. We talk about what that resilience looks like — from local campaigns and judicial races to the national fight for representation — and what it means to “lock in” as we head into the next wave of elections.

Emerge came directly out of Kamala Harris' first run for office in the early 2000s. Watch ⁠here⁠.

If you’ve ever wondered whether women can still change the direction of American democracy, this episode is both a roadmap and a signal to lock in.

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