Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Politician, Feminist, Mother and Role Model

Ria Patel Writes Skipper’s Soapbox

With Ruth Bader Ginsburg making headlines left and right for her battle against lung cancer, Ria Patel pays tribute to the Supreme Court Justice for her ongoing work against gender discrimination.

There is no one more fit to represent the sexism represented in politics in the last fifty years than Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The second female to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in American history, Ginsburg remains one of the most revered female politicians not only in the United States but in the world. Her persistent determination to fight against gender discrimination in cases such as Roe v. Wade have made her a hero for both the aspiring politician and the feminist.

Having battled two types of cancer and having served more years on the Supreme Court than any other member today, many are worried about Ginsburg’s health as she approaches her late eighties. However, when her fall last November made headlines, many became more worried. Furthermore, Ginsburg missed a case on January 7, 2019, the first Supreme Court session of the year, while recovering from lung cancer surgery. If this is not enough to convince you of her hard work and large influence on the American population, the legal drama, “On the Basis of Sex,” came out this month, detailing Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s battle against sexism and stereotypes in a time where women were confined to the domestic sphere.

Since Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court almost a decade before the majority of St. Mary’s students were born, I decided now would be a better time than any to give Ginsburg a tribute.

Ginsburg’s political career began by being named Columbia University’s first female tenured professor,; however, she continued to face discrimination in male-dominated politics her entire life. Ginsburg was discouraged from pursuing further education in college and graduate school and was dissuaded from becoming a lawyer. She completed law school all the while caring for her ill husband and young child and later battled her own cancer.

As an attorney, Ginsburg argued six gender discrimination cases in front of the Supreme Court, winning five of them. In fact, she argued against gender discrimination both against men and against women. Ginsburg is well-known for protecting the rights of females in cases that concern the right to abortion and equal protection before the law; however, she also fought for the rights of men in cases such as Frontiero v. Richardson in which males were discriminated against when applying as dependent spouses of their wives in the Air Force.

She was soon appointed to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and then later to the U.S. Supreme Court. There she decided many cases about gender discrimination throughout the late 20th century and into the 21st. She represents the battles of women, different races, low-wage workers and immigrants in obtaining their rights as Americans.

I wish Ruth Bader Ginsburg a healthy and happy recovery and many more years of political leadership in the United States.

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