Here we go again, another presidential election down to old, white, heterosexual, cisgender men. This was my first thought after reading the news that Senator Elizabeth Warren had dropped out of the presidential race this past Thursday.

For women, Warren’s exit is an all too familiar slap to the face; a moment of disappointment filled with anger. This 2020 campaign featured a roster of informed, highly accomplished female candidates too quickly handed back over to men who look like they were made from the same formula.

Great leaders need to know when to keep fighting and when to hold back. After Super Tuesday, Warren recognized what she needed to do in order to give the democratic party its best chance. Her ability to make the last minute difficult decision to walk away last week speaks volumes about her character and tells me she is by no means giving up and will remain a major player in American politics for years to come.

Regardless of whether or not you support all of their policies, for myself as a woman, witnessing strong female candidates competing in the presidential race is both empowering and inspiring. So many people will have been positively impacted by their representation.

It is extremely difficult to be a feminist in a man’s world. Feminists are often painted as man haters, who want nothing but to rid the world of their existence. But all this word truly means is that people of all genders should be treated equally.

In terms of a presidential race, this means comparing male and female candidates by their policies and not by whether or not one wears a skirt on the stage during debates. Our goal should always be to elect the best person for the job, regardless of their gender, although many seem to believe that if Warren were a man she would not have had to fight so hard.

In a one-on-one exclusive interview on The Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow stated in response to the news that Warren had dropped out of the race that “a lot of women around the country feel differently about you dropping out, whether or not they were supporting you [for president], you leaving the race feels different.”

It does “feel different.” Now women are left to question why it seems women aren’t electable. Are young girls not able to dream of being president one day?

In her interview, Maddow continues on to ask, on behalf of women around the United States, “is it just that it can’t be any woman ever, are we just gonna run white men, in their late seventies against each other…and that’s all we can agree to do?”

“Oh God, please no. That can’t be right, that can’t be the answer,” Warren replied with a resounding. She teared up as she explained how she made promises to young girls and women everywhere that a woman could, in fact, lead the country and she was the answer.

While it can be easy to get discouraged over this news, we have to remember that this is not the end of our fight as women for equal opportunity. Warren herself said it best when discussing what was next for her and women throughout the country: “we can’t lose hope over this,” instead, “we persist.”  

That is the answer. While we are held to a different standard than our male counterparts, as women, we have to remember to keep our heads up and command respect through our actions.

The truth of the matter is that a man can throw a temper tantrum in the workplace and it goes ignored — maybe even praised for it — whereas if a woman does it, it is all people focus on.

We are taught to not be too aggressive or too demanding, and that is why we must keep fighting. In order to break that glass ceiling, we need to be a little aggressive.

Regardless of who you support, do not forget to listen. Do your research and open your mind to what options are out there. I am a firm believer that there is no one right answer. No matter how you vote: vote!