A Seat at the Table

Student Guest Opinion

By Addison Seivertson | March 14, 2026

For young women, representation in government is more than symbolism. It is permission and proof that their voice matters and that they can make a difference. It allows them to look in the mirror and see someone with equal opportunities. They see someone who isn’t stopped by their gender identity. In a world that often tells girls to shrink, representation in government tells them to take up more space.

Studies have shown that “the incorporation of women into political institutions encourages the political engagement of women at the citizen level” (“‘Engendering’ Politics,” SAGE Publications) and that “adolescent girls who were exposed to a woman running a viable campaign for a visible office … were more likely to vote in both presidential and non-presidential elections as adults” (“Nevertheless, Role Models Persisted,” Springer).

In Michigan, many roles in government are held by women. From local city councils to the state capitol in Lansing, women are actively shaping policies. Leaders like Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Traverse City’s Mayor Amy Shamroe stand as living reminders that power isn’t some distant, unreachable thing. Seeing places that feel and look like home being run by women makes leadership feel closer and more familiar.

Not only does representation in government help open the doorway for young women, but just having a powerful female figure in their lives helps. It can change the way they view their own future.

For example, a 2012 study published in the journal Science found that “female leadership influences adolescent girls’ career aspirations and educational attainment” in India. Forbes reports that “role models have an amplified benefit for women due to the gender biases, institutional barriers and negative stereotypes women have long had to contend with across a wide swathe of professional domains.”

These women become their own personal proof that strength can look and sound like them. And for young women, a group that has always been told that their gender makes them inferior, having that presence, that visibility, can be the first step toward believing they deserve to be heard.

Mayor Amy Shamroe is proof of this. Not only is she the representation young women need in government, but she also had representation in her life before entering government.

Shamroe was the first woman to be elected mayor in Traverse City in nearly 20 years when she took her first term in 2023. She was reelected in 2025.

When asked if she had any role models growing up, Shamroe responds with a quick yes. Her biggest role model was her great-grandmother, Florence Mason. Shamroe describes Florence as a legend in her family, saying that everyone talked about her. She was outspoken and “just that presence.”

Despite her own success, Shamroe still sees women in government having to elbow their way in to keep their seats at the table. No matter how much growth has happened over the years, there are still times when it seems like a higher bar is set for women.

When asked why she thinks it is important to have female representation in government, Shamroe gave two reasons:

“Half of the population is women,” she says. “Women are not univocal; we don’t have the same thoughts on every single thing, but it is important to have that perspective that women bring from our lived experiences, which is different than men.”

Her second reason is that “representation also matters for future leadership … when you see a woman in power, it allows women and young girls and others to imagine it’s possible.” Shamroe adds that “if you don’t see women representing us … it means that you’re not putting that example out there for young women.”

Each woman who steps up becomes the light at the end of the tunnel. Each woman inspires the young women around them. Those are the people who drive the story forward and create the change that the world needs. These women are not only shaping our policies, but they are also shaping the possibilities.

Young women should be reminded that their voices are not too loud, their dreams are not too big, and their place at the table is not something to ask for, but something they are already worthy of.

Addison Seivertson is currently a senior at Traverse City Central High School. Oftentimes you will find her watching a movie or listening to Searows, but most days, it is common to find her working on a poem.