The electoral process is seldom described as pleasant. It’s a lot of hard work. The question is, does something about having to face voters contribute to the relative lack of female candidates in American elections?
Women won the right to vote in 1920, but initially progress in politics was slow, limited to an occasional woman ambassador or legislator, until the Republican Party nominated the first woman presidential candidate in the 1960s. The Eighties brought the first woman justice to the U.S. Supreme Court and the first woman to run for Vice-President on a major party ticket. It seemed like women were running full steam ahead once they were first elected in numbers to the U.S. Senate in the 1990s. The millennium brought the first woman Speaker of the House and in 2008 the first woman won a presidential primary. The current Congress contains a record number of women – 20 serve in the Senate, and 82 serve in the House of Representatives.
Gender Gap in Politics
Given that women are moving into positions of power in greater, and greater numbers, why does the gender gap still exist in politics?
According to the Brookings Institution, it is not because of family concerns and responsibilities. It is in fact, because women are less likely to be encouraged to run and less likely to be considered as a potential candidate when a position opens up. It is also a matter of negative self-perception and self-doubt among women.
This will not do. We need to empower women to run for political office, build up their self confidence and bolster their self esteem. We need to help them run and win because from their offices, our voices will be heard. We need to help them get there.
Read more about why women aren’t running, and what we can do to help them at Huffington Post.
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Related Articles from Other Websites
- A Short History of Women in Politics – Boston Review
- Go Run! How to Close the Gender Gap in Politics by Encouraging Young Girls to Consider Careers in Public Service – Huffington Post