An unprecedented number of women are running for a major political office this year.

Over 500 women are set to break a 1992 record for women running for office. As a woman, it is encouraging to see headlines singing the praises of powerful women representing their communities. Politics has always been a “boys club,” and women are now tearing down the walls and seizing their long withheld voices on Capital Hill and in state governments across the country. This battle will continue on for the next election cycles, but we now see the spark of something fantastic as we approach the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment that gave women suffrage.

Women have opened the door for equal representation in government, and it is a pretty big deal. Men currently hold 352 seats in the House of Representatives and 79 seats in the Senate. Currently only 83 women hold seats in the House and 21 seats in the Senate. Women hold a total of 104 out of the 535 seats that make up Congress. However, women make up 51.8 percent of the U.S. population and only 19.4 percent of Congress, which stifles the voices of millions of women.

This year’s primaries are a big step for women and women’s rights. If women can gain more seats in Congress it brings women one step closer to having equal say on laws that affect us all, equal say on reproductive rights and equal pay and laws that affect all Americans.

The majority of women running are democrats. I would like to call republican women to step up. We need to see women on both side of the aisle speak up to have a say in things that affect everyone. If women are going to succeed in politics long term, they need to represent the views of all women. Without all women being represented, the hard work of the last few years will fall short.

While there is much work yet to be done, it is inspiring to see so many women stepping up to have their voices heard, letting everyone know politics is no longer a man’s world.