AAUW Statement on the Election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

The following is a statement from AAUW CEO Kimberly Churches:

The nation’s voters have spoken, and a historic election is over: Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, Americans cast their ballots in record numbers and elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to lead our nation forward.

All of us at AAUW are honored to have witnessed — and participated in — the power of our democracy, with impressive numbers of women, people of color and young Americans joining in with their voices and their votes.

AAUW is particularly heartened and inspired by the election of so many women to positions of power. Most notably, we celebrate the fact that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has shattered barriers, becoming the first Black American, Indian and South Asian American to assume the second highest office in the land. The daughter of immigrants and a graduate of Howard University, she gives us hope for a future where women can reach the highest heights.

We are also encouraged by President-elect Biden’s promise to unite our sorely divided country and to find common ground and common good. Yet we are mindful of the challenges and the work that lie ahead. In 2021, AAUW will turn 140 years old, and as we have in every year prior, we will work tirelessly on behalf of women and girls to advance laws, policies and practices that ensure equity in education, employment and economic security — and equal justice for all.