TED's 31 days of Ideas - Day 4: It's time for women to run for office

It's time for women to run for office

By Reshma Saujani

About a week after the recent US election, I sent an email to our students at Girls Who Code asking them to share with me their fears, their concerns and their questions. I received countless responses that day. Girls from all across the nation sent me emails expressing their outrage, their sadness, their excitement, and their hope for the future.

In the aftermath of the election, I look at the political landscape and try to anticipate what lies ahead. For our girls, my greatest hope is that their dreams are not deferred ... as that final glass ceiling still hangs painfully intact above us.

I remember watching Halla Tómasdóttir’s talk, "It's time for women to run for office," right before the election, at a time when a Madame President felt like an arm's length away. Today, I watch it as a reminder that the work doesn't stop here. Tómasdóttir shares her story of running for president of Iceland in a heartwarming and honest way. It's an inspirational talk that sheds light on the challenges she faced with joy, humor and humility -- and, most of all, her commitment to the principle of capital-G Girlpower. As a woman who has lost two campaigns for political office myself, I felt intimately connected to our shared story of risking failure, redefining success and, when all else fails, learning to enjoy the journey.

Tómasdóttir’s talk gives me hope for our girls, and it's one I know I'll continue to go back to in the years ahead. We may not have broken that final glass ceiling this time around, but we must never lose hope for the future. I hope you enjoy this talk and share it with the women and girls in your life.