No candidate will ever merit a vote by his or her God-given genitalia; however, in 2016, Hillary will have my vote because she happens to be a female who will also happen to advocate for each and every other female.

(and that’s on top of her many other qualifications)

Don’t believe me?

Research shows that women are statistically more likely to advocate for women-centric issues when in positions of power. This tendency results in benefits not only for our female population, however. “Tali Mendelberg, Christopher Karpowitz, and Nicholas Goedert show that ‘when women are many, they are more likely to voice women’s distinctive concerns about children, family, the poor and the needy.'”

I won’t deny it- I was feeling a little Bern. He said what a lot of the millennial generation was thinking, what we were waiting for. While our country may not be ready for a Bernie, we are well past ready for a strong, worthy female leader. Hillary is centuries in the making.

Though I find it hard to believe that there is anyone out there who has not been directly impacted by the gender inequality rampant in our nation, let me give you a few more reasons to seriously consider this history-making candidate in November.

(1) She has already worked under multiple administrations, as well as been a member of Congress. She has worn many hats and participated in our political machine in almost every way possible. If someone knows how American government functions, it’s Hillary. If someone knows how to get things done, it’s Hillary.

(2) Though there may be policy-specific disagreements, she was inarguably one of our best Secretaries of State. Even Republican Senator Lindsey Graham described her as “one of the most effective secretary of states, greatest ambassadors for the American people that I have known in my lifetime.”

(3) It is widely acknowledged that she may not have the raw talent and appeal of past Presidents, like Obama or Bill. More importantly, she makes up for that lack with dedication, hard work, and a commitment to surrounding herself with the most competent advisors and decision-makers our country has to offer.

(4) She has an undeniable reputation abroad, a critical facet of her candidacy in the era of globalization. Former ambassador to Austria, Swanee Hunt, affirms that Hillary “is really seen as the hope for women worldwide. It’s not just certainly that she’s a woman. It’s that as a woman she brings a certain perspective, and they have never seen that perspective, that compassion and that rigor for policy. They have never seen that in a potential leader of a superpower.” Strategically for the United States, Clinton repositioned our international priorities and acted on them like never before. “As the adage holds, 90 percent of success is showing up — and show up in Asia was exactly what Clinton did. In her four years as secretary, she made 62 visits to Asian countries, accounting for more than a quarter of all of her trips abroad. Condoleezza Rice, Clinton’s predecessor, made 47 during her four years as secretary. Not only did Clinton make more visits, she also visited the region more widely. Rice traveled to 18 Asian countries; Clinton visited 26. Rice never visited Cambodia or the Philippines, and she visited Indonesia twice. Clinton made three trips to Cambodia, two to the Philippines and four to Indonesia — underscoring ASEAN’s centrality to the rebalance strategy.” Clinton brought a legendary component of Obama’s presidency to life through dedication and follow-through. As put by an ambassador who served under Clinton, “to name any one, single event of Clinton’s tenure is to overlook her most important contribution: rebuilding America’s relationships with friends, allies and partners around the world.” In a time where we credit anti-Americanism and our “GloboCop” attitude for the hatred and distrust channeled our way, a politician with a history of bridge building and hands-on diplomacy is a strategic opportunity we can’t ignore.

Don’t be mistaken- there are components of her platform and characteristics of her campaign that are not ideal and require reform, but in a world where our choice is between an unpredictable bigot and a well-trained advocate for progress, is there really a choice at all?

To say that she is getting votes simply because she is a woman is naïve. She is getting votes, and deserves votes, because she is an advocate. Perhaps it does take being a woman to feel compelled to advocate so strongly for women, but I can’t fathom caring enough about what her motivation is, be it her genitalia or a sense of moral responsibility to an underserved population, to dissuade me from voting for the better prepared, more internationally respected candidate in this election.

Whether you’re a republican or a democrat, black or white, rich or poor, a Hillary fan or a Bernie supporter, this is a time to remember. I can’t wait to be 80 years old telling children that I was around when we had the first female nominee (and, please, first female President). In a time when our local, national, and global citizenry is faced with trials and tribulations unlike those of the past, from terrorist bombings and school shootings to gendered bathrooms and marriage rights, we incur a triumph. To every female, feel justified and empowered. To each male, recognize in us worthy teammates.

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sources: http://www.vox.com/2016/6/7/11879746/hillary-clinton-first-woman; http://usliberals.about.com/od/liberalpersonalprofiles/fl/Is-Hillary-Clinton-Qualified-for-the-Presidency.htm; http://www.newsweek.com/hillary-clinton-two-front-war-312833; http://thediplomat.com/2016/04/did-hillary-clintons-pivot-to-asia-work/; http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/16/opinions/kounalakis-hillary-clinton-accomplishments/