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Midterms 2018: Here Are the Historic Firsts for Women From Election Night


The 2018 midterm elections are finally coming to a close after months of heated political debate and highly contested races. Women, who broke records with their primary wins over the summer, were front and center Tuesday night as Democrats captured control of the House in a dramatic midterm election cycle that gave America its say, not only about the candidates on the ballot, but President Donald Trump as well.

Here’s a snapshot: Not only do we now have the youngest person elected to Congress in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a first-time candidate who knocked out a 10-term congressman in a June), we are also seeing the first Native American and Muslim women take seats in Congress. And in Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley became the state’s first black congresswoman.

The good news? The list goes on. Take a look at all the big moments for women below.



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The 2018 Oscar Nominations Saw Several Firsts for Females in Hollywood, Including Greta Gerwig and Mary J. Blige


According to all available statistics, the film industry is especially brutal to the careers of women, who are routinely in the minority when it comes to landing jobs behind the camera. The challenges faced by women of color are even greater. But after a year of change in the cultural conversation around how women are treated in Hollywood and other industries, there are at least a few bright spots to be found in this morning’s Oscar nominations.

For starters, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, making Gerwig the first female director to land a Best Director nomination for her directorial debut. The indie darling was already an established screenwriter, with credits on projects in which she also starred, like Frances Ha and Mistress America. But Lady Bird represented her first solo foray behind the camera (she previously co-directed 2008’s Nights and Weekends with Joe Swanberg). In addition to breaking this particular barrier, Gerwig is now in the teeny tiny club of five women ever nominated for the prize. She joins a handful of other luminaries like Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola. (The club really ought to have included Dee Rees and Patty Jenkins this year, sigh.) Best Director has been won by a woman only once, in 2010 when Kathryn Bigelow took home the Oscar for The Hurt Locker.

Another crack in the glass ceiling comes from Rachel Morrison, who just became the first and only women ever nominated for Best Cinematography, for her work on Dee Rees’s Mudbound. Yes, you read that right, after 90 years, there is finally one woman nominated in this category. Also nominated for her work in Mudbound is Mary J. Blige, who just became the first women ever to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress for a performance in a film directed by a woman of color, as well as the first woman to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song in the same year.

Here’s hoping these incredibly talented women go home with some hardware next month.

Related Stories:

See the Full List of Oscar Nominations Here

2018 Is Going to Be a Great Year for Women in Movies

10 Creep-Free Movies to Root for This Awards Season





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