Nepali politician Bidhya Devi Bhandari just made history by joining the long list of past and present female presidents from around the world, highlighting a broader global shift towards gender equality in politics.
On Wednesday, Bhandari was officially elected head of state of Nepal, becoming the first ever female president to serve in the country. Just as heartening, her election coincides with another political female first in Nepal—last week, Onsari Gharti became the first woman to serve as a parliament speaker in the country.
Though presidency in Nepal is mostly ceremonial, Bhandari’s past political activism provides hope that she will use her position to enact change. A proponent of female leadership and a supporter of increased representation of women in lawmaking positions, Bhandari may be just what Nepal needs to continue the nation’s newfound focus on increasing equality.
And with the American presidential election on the minds of many, perhaps this news will inspire our nation to follow suit, or at the very least combat entirely sexist notions that the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina are illegitimate solely based on gender. Because, if anything, this historic moment proves that women absolutely should, can and will aspire to run the world, one country at a time.