It’s 2024. Women are doctors, lawyers, pro-athletes and pilots, but a woman still has yet to be the President of the U.S.

USF appointed its first woman president, Betty Castor, in 1994. The university is among many institutions in the country that recognizes the value of women serving in leadership roles.

Related: Donald Trump’s win prompts shock, relief from USF students

At a national level, we need to commit to the same goal of gender equality by allowing women to achieve positions of power.

Because without Presidential Barbie, how will little girls know we have a place in the center stage of politics?

Kamala Harris earned her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and her law degree from Hastings College of Law. She also served as Vice President and in the Senate.

Trump has been convicted of 34 felony charges for his hush money scandal and has been impeached, in addition to having sexual abuse allegations.

To say Americans chose the ladder over a qualified woman is disheartening at best and appalling at worst.

This election year has been a tough one for women at both national and local levels. Amendment 4 did not exceed the 60% of votes needed to pass, which would have restored abortion access in most cases in Florida.

Our President-elect and Florida’s rejection of Amendment 4 are not in favor of women or their best interest.

Related: Dating violence reports have tripled at USF Tampa. Officials say it’s due to awareness.

And we have enabled this behavior by electing a man who openly has said such offensive things about women to represent our nation.

Not only has Trump made gross comments about wanting to date his daughter, Ivanka Trump, but in 2005 he was recorded saying that he doesn’t wait for consent before kissing attractive women because “when you’re a star, they just let you do it.”

When young men see this man as a leader of one of the greatest countries on Earth, what message does this send to them about what’s socially acceptable?

Beyond fostering a community of inclusivity, women assuming leadership positions can actually increase productivity, according to the American Psychological Association.

Related: USF students might be divided, but let’s keep things civil

Women are strong leaders who, contrary to common myth, are not driven by their emotions and therefore incapable of running the Oval Office. Anyone who assumes women are “too emotional,” need to look at Trump’s history of temper-tantrums.

Are Americans who voted for Trump going to overlook the fact that he called for the insurrection of our state capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after he was unsatisfied about national election results? 

We are talking about the diplomatic leader of our nation. It seems all standards have gone out the window and that the feminist movement has been forced to take several steps back.

At this time, it’s important for women to support and uplift one another, since our President-elect and policies refuse to.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated where Vice President Kamala Harris received her law degree. The previous version also incorrectly stated that a woman had gone to the moon. Astronaut Christina Koch will be the first woman on a lunar mission in 2025.