Are YOU ready for Hillary? This slogan fills up newspaper headlines, computer advertisement, television commercials and news outlets across the nation. I am constantly faced with this glaring question, but what does it mean? What am I getting ready for? Is this question asking its audience if it is ready for Hilary Clinton or for a woman to be president? If the latter, why do I need to be ready for a woman to be president? Will having a woman president create an unprecedented change to the political system? Are women not just as capable as men to run the country? This slogan markets a dilemma women have struggled with for decades and continue to struggle with in global politics; representation in high level political offices. The United States …show more content…
The American University Women and Politics Institute study entitled Men Rule concluded seven reasons why women continue to be under represented in U.S. politics. The study found women perceive the electoral environment as more competitive and biased against women (Fox and Lawless ii). In conjunction, women are less likely to believe they are qualified to run for office. Women see themselves as less competitive, less confident, more risk adverse, and less likely to receive the suggestion to run for office than men. Furthermore, as women have gained greater recognition in the electoral arena, women’s perceptions of gender bias have become greatly aggravated by the presence of the media. Lastly, women still are largely held responsible for the household and childcare. However, as women have overcome these perceived challenges, voter’s still have not viewed a woman as the best candidate, as seen in the 2008 presidential election. In contrast to the aversion women candidates cite, voters in the United States are largely affected by gender bias in assessing …show more content…
“The war on terror” has dominated the political climate and with this shift to an atmosphere of war, women as prospective candidates’ have become questioned (Lawless 479). The Knowledge Networks national random sample survey found citizens prefer men’s leadership traits and characteristics to women’s. Moreover, men are deemed as more competent in areas of national security and military crises. As a result of these gender stereotypes, citizen’s willingness to support a qualified woman candidate for president is now lower than it has been in decades (Lawless 480). Women are less likely to run for high-level political positions not only due to self-doubt and the lack of encouragement, but also because our society’s concepts of gendered characteristics has greatly reflected on voters belief that women are not assertive, active, or self-confident leaders (Lawless 480). Instead, a woman leader is believed to be compassionate, willing to compromise, and “people-orientated”, which are not valued characteristics in a time dominated by military crises and national security (Lawless 480). Gender stereotyping in politics play a large role for citizen’s who lack the time, ability, or need to delve into candidates’ policies and political stances, and instead rely on gender expectations to assess the candidates (McDermott 271). Thus, in times where
She also repeats the word “If women” followed by “will”, this gives a cause and a positive effect. Good outcomes come with good actions. Hillary’s credibility does not get call into question when she says she has been working in the case “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families” this is the way she knows a lot about women and their necessities “I/ve had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my country and around the
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.
Clinton repeats the words “If women” followed by “will” (Clinton), this gives the audience a reason to accept her propositions. Good outcomes come with good actions. When she concluded her speech, Hillary kept using the repetition of the words dignity, respect, family and children. Clinton’s credibility is not questioned when she says she has been working in the case, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families” (Clinton) this is the way she knows about women and their necessities, “I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my country and around the world” (Clinton).Her goal is definite, “To strengthen families and societies by empowering women to take greater control over their own destinies”( Clinton). This change will not only affect women, but everyone who surrounds them.
This was backed up with the Princeton study that shows that women in the science field made 14% of the total faculty in their workplaces and one out of four reported their male colleagues occasionally engaged in unprofessional conduct focusing on gender issues (Quindlen paragraph 11). Similar things occur to women in politics. In Men Rule, it is stated that “When women run for office – regardless of the position they seek – they are just as likely as their male counterparts to win their races”(Lawless and Fox 2). This proves that women have the potential to succeed in politics, but raises the question of why it is that women are still underrepresented in politics. Studies in Men Rule shows that “gender gaps in political recruitment and perceptions of qualifications continue to hinder women’s interest in running for office just as much now as a decade ago”; and although women’s interest in politics have increased over time, men still run the show when it should be controlled equally (Lawless and Fox 16). This is why feminism is needed, through feminism women can be sufficiently represented in all areas of the
Still, as one Republican official described her, Clinton is often viewed as “‘grating, abrasive and boastful’” (236). Generally, female candidates are expected to be “more caring, compassionate, and emotional than their male counterparts, who tend to be seen as tough, assertive, and decisive” (Bauer). This issue is common among female candidates, and this expectation has certainly impacted Clinton’s campaign. Despite her background as Secretary of State, Clinton is continually questioned by her opponents about her strength.
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
Living in a society where gender matters and is one of the main attention seeking in every aspect whether it is involved with politics, governments, and as well as individuals within a community. Men and women were created equal at birth; yet, we are brought up and nurtured by the society that we let it control our thoughts and minds, and believing that women are not equally as men. Gender was separated at birth, in order for society to tell the difference between a boy and a girl, therefore, boys often wear things that associated with the color blue and girls with pink. In a political world, gender tends to suffer a gap between male and female when it comes to voting for presidential candidates or elections. While most electable candidates want to gather as many votes as possible from both genders, women’s voting tends to deliver a bigger impact on who will win, due to the fact that the majority of women are likely to vote for female candidates, especially on political issues relating to women’s rights and movements than male candidates. Therefore, women candidates should target mostly at female voters, because they are likely to vote for their own gender and will support women candidates on political issues involving discrimination and domestic violence towards women.
Hillary Clinton is running a campaign for a GOP nomination, in which much of her support is based on her persona as an advocate of women’s rights. Depictions of Clinton’s projected image have little basis in fact. While she is not overtly misogynistic or racist like other politicians who are running for presidency, her actions as a policymaker have had the same devastating impacts to non-white women locally in America and abroad as her male peers. Though Clinton is one of the first women to run for presidency and be taken seriously (which certainly is to due to white privilege), she still condones foreign policies that destroy the lives of women around the world.
The goal of Hillary’s speech is to persuade her audience that her ideas are valid, by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Hillary is the First Lady and Senator, she shows credibility as an influential activist for woman rights. “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my country and around the world” (Clinton 2).
“For my most recent book, What Will It Take to Make a Woman President?... ... middle of paper ... ... In summary, the media is using its powers to make life a bit more complex for women.
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...
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:
About eight decades ago, the United States Constitution granted American women the right to vote. During the same era, only men ran for office and decided what is best for American citizens. Many females in the world today are becoming politicians. Today, many women will consider running for local offices in their communities. The “Women Rights” article states “women were excluded from the electoral process for more than 140 years”. The “Women Rights” article also states that women did not have the opportunity to attend college. Women in their communities are considering running for president, commissioner, secretary, etc. American citizens will decide who should hold office. The three reasons why I believe women should consider politics are
Electing more female officials into Congress and state legislature to fulfill the gender gap in the American legislation will give women more pathways to equal rights in laws and policies. Currently, women only represent twenty percent of the American national legislation, and even less in many state legislations. Furthermore, this underrepresentation in the American government leads to a gender gap and misrepresents America’s body of approximately fifty percent female population. The general belief that the overwhelming amount of men in American legislation office causes women not to participate in politics. However, according to the American University in D.C. their study showed the perceived gender gap in government prevents women for running for political office. Nevertheless, the study found that novice politicians are more likely to run for office if encouraged by a fellow incumbent politician to run for a competitive seat; thus, it only takes more encouragement to fulfill the gender gap in politics