Women in Politics

2178 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of women in society in government

The political arena is a tough place to be part of, especially during a campaign. Your opponent and their supporters are constantly watching your every move with the hopes that you will make a mistake, or that somebody will find some detrimental dirt on you. Now imagine also being a woman, not only will you have to face the hardships that male candidates cope with but you will also have to handle the adversity based on your gender and the stereotypes that go along with being a female. Women have to be prepared to confront the fact that they may not even be wanted in that setting. For example Margaret Carlson stated,

Do you ever get the feeling that the men in the world might not care if the door closed and there were no women in the room? Ever suspect many men still think that when a woman argues a point she's being combative, while a man is being analytic; that women are motivated by emotions and the need to be loved, while men are driven by facts; that when a woman asks for a raise, if she has the temerity to do so, she is grasping, unlike male breadwinners, who are simply collecting their due? (1996)

Not only do women have to accept the fact that they are women trying to become part of the old boy network, but they also have to face the stereotypes, double standards and the sexism that comes along with the political system.

Stereotypes is an issue that women politicians will unquestionably come across in any attempt to become a political representative. These gender specific expectations place the emphasis of the woman as a candidate and focus all the attention on the simple fact of the candidate’s gender. According to Deborah Carol Robson, socially desirable traits f...

... middle of paper ...

...President to put himself on the line and take a huge step for the woman of the United States.

At the end of the movie Senator Laine Hansen made a statement that was inspirational, she said “Principles only means something if you stick by them when they are inconvenient, if I ever did answer the questions even to exonerate myself that would mean that is would have been okay for them to ask them in the first place, and it isn’t.” With that statement she made me realize that being a true leader is complex, it means not taking the easy way out, it means standing up for what you believe and not letting anybody take your dignity away. Senator Laine Hansen is a fictional character in a movie, but she had what it took to be a leader and still inspired me and gave me the hope that maybe one day there won’t be a double standard for women in the United States.

Show More
Related

  • The Gilded Age Analysis

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...kman more dependent; depriving him of his skill and of opportunities to acquire it; lessening his control over his own condition and the hope of improving it; cramping his mind, and in many cases distorting an enervating his body.”

    Read More

  • Hillary Clinton's Rights Speech

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hillary Clinton’s speech “Women Rights” transmitted a crucial message to the world and that was to do something about gender inequality. Pathos helped transmit an emotional appeal to the audience and make them see the soft side of Clinton.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Guyland By Michael Kimmel

    1186 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Canadian Feminism: The Role Of Women In Canadian Women

    1685 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Essay On Gender And Voting Behavior

    2285 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Eugenics: America's Dark Past and Future

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    To start our discussion, we must define what eugenics is exactly so we can have a better understanding of all facts discussed. Francis Galton, the founder of eugenics, defined it as “the science of improving inherited stock, not only by judicious matings, but by all the influences which give more suitable strains a better chance” . In other words, Galton believed that only families with what were deemed “suitable” should be able to reproduce. This idea was to “better” the human race as a whole.

    Read More

  • The Misapplication of Eugenics

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    The concept of eugenics has to do with the belief or practice of improving the genetic quality of the human race (“Eugenics” 2010). The concept was first introduced by Francis Galton, a researcher who wished to apply Darwin’s theory of evolution to the human race. Much like many endeavors that start off with good intentions, the results of applying this concept in real life were gross crimes against humanity. The eugenics movement in the early 20th century perverted the original concept by employing morally objectionable techniques including forced sterilization, marriage restrictions, segregation, internment camps, and genocide (Black 2012). In War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race, Edwin Black discusses the root of the eugenics movement in the United States of America and how this ultimately influenced the horrifying actions taken by the Nazis in pursuit of the pure Aryan race.

    Read More

  • Eugenics

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clements, Colleen. “The new eugenics: bioethics has its own ideology hostile to genetics and accepts, on faith alone, the feasibility of creating social environments which can cure all problems.” Medical Post. 5 March 2002. Proquest. Vol. 38, Iss. 9; p. 13.

    Read More

  • The Sociopolitical Implications of Darwin's Theory

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection is viewed by many as one of the most significant and influential ideas ever conceived. However it took Darwin 20 years to publish his book ‘the origin of species’, one of the primary reasons for this was that he feared the implications his theory would have on the world. Although the theory of evolution greatly enhanced and progressed science as well as deepen human understanding of nature, it came at a cost. The theory led to the development of Social Darwinism, which further created a variety of different sociological and political ideologies. One of the most prominent of these was the idea of eugenics, which emphasized improving the genetic quality of a race through artificial selection. The eugenics

    Read More

  • Underrepresentation Of Women In Politics

    1606 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • American Politics: The Need for Diversity in Government

    2232 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...ceilings placed above them when trying to integrate themselves in politics. Minority women are just as eager to show their strengths and capabilities that they can offer, professionally and politically. The need for minority women in politics is grave due to the fact that without them, there’s an underrepresented population needing someone to be the voice for their demographic.

    Read More

  • Gender Equity in the 21st Century

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Subliminal Advertising

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    The power of subliminal advertising in effecting consumers is still unproven. The concept of subliminal advertising is based on a "threshold". "This [is] thought to be a fixed point below which awareness does not extend." (Sutherland: p.30) If a word is flashed on a television screen for 50 milliseconds a person would not be conscious of it. If the time of the exposure is increased the word crosses the threshold and a person becomes consciously aware of the word. This process varies within the same person from day to day. For example, if a person is hungry while watching television, advertisements of food will be noticed more than if that same person just ate. Sometimes we are more alert than at other times. The effects of being tired, using drugs or alcohol can also vary when a stimulus is registered.

    Read More

  • Eugenics

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    When eugenics first began, many scientists began collecting date and research to support the belief and make it one that is sturdier and in order to provide it with more backbone. An example of this research is that studies discovered that a lot of the patients in mental institutions and correction facilities are of relation to one another, so if eugenics is used and takes out this variable it associates itself with a world of less or no crime. Statistics that were created also said that ridding the world of those who are ‘defective’ would save the world a significant amount of money in the future.

    Read More

  • women in leadership positions

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in the public and private sector. Many countries have responded to this issue by implementing gender quotas for political seats and corporate boardroom positions. This paper reviews the stereotype beliefs that women leaders are faced with which serve as barriers for the attainment of high-power leadership positions. There is incomplete information on the identification of qualified women leaders and thus most likely the persistence of the stereotypes against women leaders. Greater exposure to qualified women leaders would reduce the gender bias and provide them with greater access to high-power leadership positions. Studies in France, the United Kingdom, and Argentina demonstrate that quotas increase female leadership and influence policy outcomes. Pros and cons to the implementation of mandatory gender quotas for publically listed companies in the United States are identified. Due to the relatively new initiatives of gender equality through quotas, longer-term effects are still to be determined.

    Read More

More about Women in Politics

Open Document