On Nov. 7, St. Paul made history by electing an all-women city council—something that has never occurred in a major Minnesota city. All-women city councils are a rarity across the U.S., and the St. Paul City Council is especially unique because six of the seven council members are also women of color.

The council members are Anika Bowie, Mitra Jalali, Cheniqua Johnson, Saura Jost, HwaJeong Kim, Rebecca Noecker, and Nelsie Yang. All seven are under 40 years old and progressive politicians.

For many, the city council represents the growth in women’s representation in politics. Kelly Dittmar, director of research and scholar at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics believes women’s representation in government will continue to increase. “You’re seeing shifts in perceptions, both in the importance of having women in office, as well as women’s qualifications—things that historically have been more biased,” Dittmar said in an interview with The Guardian.

Councilmember Mirta Jalali, the first Iranian American to hold office in Minnesota, hopes St. Paul will set an example to increase the diversity of government bodies nationwide. “St. Paul voters are showing the world what’s possible on city councils, county boards, and local and state government everywhere,” she said. “This shouldn’t be an exceptional story, but a quiet normal that communities everywhere get to experience.”