Some folks may profess that women can not run a country because of “female issues” but I’m sure Queen Hatshepsut would beg to differ. She ruled Egypt successfully and peaceably for 20 years with zero menstrual-cycle-fueled calls to war. This was 3500 years ago and she was not the first or last female ruler of Egypt.

She did have her issues breaking the glass ceiling. She had herself portrayed as a male with a beard to assert her authority and Thutmose III tried to eradicate her memory by destroying or defacing her monuments. But we’ve had a few thousand years to get over our unwarranted prejudices.

Last week we visited Deir el-Bahari and the temple Djeser-djeseru which Hatshepsut had built, an architectural wonder of ancient Egypt and one of her many accomplishments. I was impressed, not only with the beauty and majesty of the structure, but that I could touch a piece of ancient, enduring proof of the strength of Hatshepsut and the potential legacy of future female leaders.