Since the beginning of time, sexism has been a prominent barrier between the genders. Women may have the same political rights, however they are still degraded and seen as inferior to men. So, women in politics are now trying to prove that they are just as capable as men are. However, their attempts are being suppressed due to the inappropriate comments against them. Sexist remarks in the media against female political candidates is the reason why there is a smaller amount of women in government. The most adequate of women are being scared away from the political race because of the sexist attacks against women in government. The most suitable women look at past candidates and witness the attacks on them and choose to avoid the political race. For example, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and First Lady of the United States, was called a scold, a tank, and a lousy mother. Anne Kornblut, an American journalist for the Washington Post says there is a chance that a women will be elected into the White House soon, but the evidence proves otherwise. When interviewed by Kornblut, former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice states, "I, frankly, think we crossed the bar on African-Americans quite some time ago. I'm not sure we've crossed it on women," showing her concern about the sexism against women politicians. Many women in America are capable and sufficient of being apart of T a i t 1! the political race or any form of government official, however these women notice the race is unfair and discriminating to women, so they avoid joining. The bar between men and women in politics is not set equally. Women candidates in the political race have won a handful close primaries, however some of those few races were f... ... middle of paper ... ...remarks against women political candidates is causing a unfair and corrupt system in government. Jehmu Green said, "Sexism against women in the media has become normalized and accepted in a way that they would not be if the comments were racist. It dramatically affects women candidates," stating that sexism remarks have been allowed even though it affects women candidates greatly. Sexist comments can be easily dismissed, but instead they take on a unnecessary amount of weight. Anne Kornblut states, "If the current talk radio and cable TV culture is a true window on our national psyche, we are one bunch of sick piggies, folks," expressing her disgust of how regularly women candidates are attacked with sexist remarks. The time is now to change the way America views female government officials so that the land of freedom can truly be free and begin to prosper once more.
Witt, Linda, Karen M. Paget, and Glenna Matthews. Running as a Woman: Gender and Power in American Politics. New York: Free Press, 1994.
On November 1912, women won the right to vote in Arizona. This period of time marked a lot of changes for women and politics in Arizona. Women had to struggle against a male dominated society that influenced their vote despite their new freedom to vote as they saw fit. The right to vote eventually led to a proliferation of women running for local, state, and national offices. Those running for office faced skepticism about their capabilities as a politician, concern over whether they had the drive, intelligence, and strength to face down opponents within the political arena. Despite these obstacles, women have proven to be successful politicians and have infiltrated the ranks of male dominated government systems, both within states and nationwide. Today, women are virtually equal to men as far as their capabilities are concerned, yet are still under-represented in the national political scene. By reviewing a brief history of a few women in politics in Arizona and examining current political themes, a platform is formed that allows an understanding and recognition of the struggles and progression of women in politics today.
On May 2, 2016 Jill Filipovic wrote an article in the New York Times that addresses the topic of women in power and how women can be at a disadvantage due to the fact that they just simply are not a man. Filipovic started her article by addressing the topic of race and how Representative Donna Edwards was accused of playing the race card during her election. In todays society many women have a hard time getting hired, trusted to execute a role, or even getting paid less by companies. Due to these issues many women such as Hillary Clinton is now being accused of “playing the women card” in her debates for presidency. The purpose of this piece of rhetoric is to argue that women are not just “playing the woman card” but that discrimination
In 2008 the first woman was awarded the position of Speaker of the House, and Hillary Clinton ran for president. While Hillary had widespread support leading people to believe that the two different genders had reached equality, there were several that doubted whether or not a woman has what it takes to be a president. The women that came into power that was generally held by men, needed to perform a balancing act. This balancing act was between the characteristics of women and projecting the masculine strength and leadership needed to hold their position (Jenen 14). This problem in society has been continuing on for a long time. In the 1970’s women had no standing in academia. That women were no use to the department they were studying and
However, the female participation in politics is a staggeringly low number, thus in the Global Gender Gap report of 2016, it ranked Canada 35 out of 144 countries (Forum,2016). Having Canadian women more involved in politics ensures that different perspectives and opinions are represented where it matters the most, in the government that organizes and creates all the legislations. Policies such as abortion rights should not be determined by men, but by women who can relate to or understand the grounds of the rights. The barriers that women face can easily be diminished with effort. The media can do its part and treat female politicians like they treat their male counterparts, based on their proposed policies and not by what they may be wearing at the time. Families and society itself need to drop the “traditional family” model and realize that modern families share responsibilities so that both parents can strive in their respected careers. Lastly women themselves need to be reminded that if they have the right qualifications, they could go as far as they want, specifically in politics. By becoming a politician, they could still be a good wife and/or mother, but their self-perception needs to be improved by those around them who need to encourage them. Female politicians would be beneficial for everyone in a community, as the standard of who can lead a country changes and people realize that women are capable and qualified as
Republican women in particular have been excluded from legislation drafting committees and left out of committee chair positions; Senator Murkowski is the only female Republican committee chairwoman. Given that only 5 of the 52 Republican Senators are women, female Senators in the current Senate “are so underrepresented in the Republican conference” and the number of female Senators is “so paltry they don’t register in that power hierarchy.” Reminiscent of the all-male Anita Hill hearings from 1992, no female Republican was involving in the drafting of the Republican’s Obamacare repeal bill, even though Senator Collins is a health care expert. Despite their exclusion from the power hierarchy, female Senators are quick to receive insults and scorn from their male colleagues when they run afoul of party
McGlen, Nancy E., and Karen O'Connor. Women, Politics, and Society. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998.
The underrepresentation of female’s interests and values is a global phenomenon as there is no country where women are equally represented on all levels of government. Since most women in the Western World gained the right to vote, there is no area of human life or development sector which is immune from the impact of inequitable gender relations. The central thesis of this paper is that women’s underrepresentation in elected office creates serious problems. This paper begins by analysing the key barriers of women to get into politics, especially into leading positions. It will then go on to the argument that women have special interests and needs, and that male politicians cannot represent those concerns adequately. Additionally, this paper describes further problems in today’s political world, such as women’s identification with
In order to explain how and why the lack of minor female political leaders affects the American Society, it’s best to explain how the gender inequality, in general, affects the American people. Gender inequality in ...
The initial effects of women’s suffrage on the national level was limited. To a great extent it remains limited; women have always been underrepresented at the federal level. In the first election after the 19th Amendment, 25 states failed to elect a woman, (Rothschild, p. 11). Currently, 26 states do not have a women in their congressional delegation, (Gendergap, p.1). There are also six states that have never elected a woman to federal office, (Rothschild, p.2). They are Alaska, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Mississippi. While women represent 52 percent of the population, they represent only 21 percent in Congress. Thus it can be seen that women still have steps to take to achieve true political equality with men.
According to the report, women have been running for public offices in ever increasing numbers. Nevertheless, it can sometimes be a daunting task, as women can sometimes encounter violence or prejudice in the field of politics. However, it seems that women’s difficulty in participating in government and politics is an issue which is being tackled in many areas. It seems that it is (or has been) an international issue, which is consistent across many cultures. The types of obstacles women face may vary from are to are, but there usually exist a few obstacles. For example, the report cited an example concerning the 2007 Kenyan general elections where a record number of women sought parliamentary seats, however, there were also unprecedented levels of violence. Women across the world have been grossly underrepresented in government for ages. Of course, certain things are...
One major factor in why women did not reach equality in America in the past century was their underrepresentation in local, state, and federal politics. Between 1917, when Jeanette Rankin became the first woman to serve in the United States Congress, and 2000, only 219 women have been elected as US representatives or senators. Of these, only 28 have been women of color. In contrast, in the 20th century over a thousand men served in Congress, and 132 men of color. In the 106th United States Congress (which met from 1999-2001) only 58 of the 535 legislators were women, and only 18 were women of color. As a result, laws that benefitted women faced heavy opposition before they could be passed. In addition, women made up the minority of Supreme Court justices and presidential cabinet members at every point in the 20th century, and of the 15 presidents...
Women of power are treated very poorly. These women of power include politicians, doctors, lawyers and businesswomen. Arguably, female politicians receive the worst treatment of all. Everything they do is constantly under media scrutiny, like what they wear and what they say, much more so than their male counterparts. The difference in the number of men and women congress members is vast, almost 5 to 1. Many women shy away from the political light for these reasons. An article, “Women in Politics”, written by Kenneth Jost, he explains the feats of women in the past 100 years:
that they were entering a world hostile to women’s achievements… and that every attack on Hillary Clinton for not knowing her place is an attack on them.” Utilizing a number of intelligent women, Watson and Ephron, who are also fighting for gender equality makes her article reliable. These intelligent women have experienced first-hand the consequences of their success. She also attempts to relate with her audience by exclaiming “The threats against Watson are an attack on me – and I take them personally. We all need
Outline and assess the view that patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality (40 marks)