Politics aside, the nomination of a woman to lead a major party in a presidential election is a big deal.

Hillary Clinton may be unqualified (though no more than her rival) and some of her positions dangerous, but when she accepted the Democratic Party nomination Thursday night she allowed the next generation of female leaders to dream big.

The rest of the world is years ahead of us when it comes to nominating and electing female leaders. And while we can admire those leaders from afar, nothing compares to seeing an American woman lead a major party.

It gives hope to countless girls who can wonder if they too could become president. We’ll have to wait until November to see if that final hurdle for women can be overcome.

Buried deep within the constant — and sometimes deserving — criticism of Clinton is a fear that women simply can’t lead this nation. That fear is irrational and has no place in America.

Clinton is no less qualified to be president because of her gender. Her policies, positions and past actions may disqualify her, but being a woman does not.

Here at home, we’ve seen strong female leadership in Sen. Sally Doty and Rep. Becky Currie. Though they are the minority in the state Legislature, they have both pushed for legislation that protects and benefits women. They have brought a much-needed perspective to Jackson.

Though both would likely cringe at being associated with Clinton, it’s a fitting comparison. Why can we champion female leaders at the state level, but still balk at the idea of a female president?

Regardless of the race’s outcome, we can mark 2016 as the year that history was made. Love her or hate her, Clinton’s nomination will forever change presidential politics — and that’s a good thing.