Progressive Hope for Women in American Politics

Sep 4

Written by Natthida Christa Haddawy | Edited by David Bang | Designed by Sanisa Kongsiri (Kym)

The announcement of Kamala Harris as the democratic vice-presidential candidate has generated tremendous discussion and debate over the past weeks of the role of women in politics, but this topic has a deep and long history in the United States. The topic of gender equality has been discussed for generations. We continue to talk about improving gender inequality and women’s rights, yet women around the world still have their capabilities minimized by the public. While we are seeing more women participate in public office and the political process, there is still a significant gender gap for women in politics. Gender discrimination remains one of the most serious obstacles to women’s political, social, and economic rights today.

Women political candidates who strive to make the world a better place have often faced intimidation, violence, and harassment. Although many in the public may see women as weak and unqualified for political positions, the lack of women in high-level decision-making processes robs society of their valuable potential contributions. The reason for this is that women are able to raise awareness and provide opinions on many societal issues that men are often unaware of. Some of these issues include matters concerning child care, parental leave and pensions, as well as broader development issues, such as poverty and delivery of services. By involving women in political decisions, all aspects of society will be able to be understood and considered for further improvement.

When and how did women obtain the right to vote?

The 19th amendment legally assures American women the right to vote, lifting the discrimination on the basis of gender. Achieving this was a difficult and lengthy struggle and took decades of agitation and protest. Between 1878, when the amendment was first introduced to Congress and, August 1920, when it was ratified, women worked tirelessly in order to have a say in the political processes.

Beginning in the 1800s, women would organize petitions and protests in order to have their voices heard and acknowledged. Supporters often met fierce resistance and violence, which included being heckled, jailed, and even physically abused. By 1916, the majority of the major suffrage organizations agreed upon the goal of a constitutional amendment. The political balance finally began to shift when President Wilson changed his stance to support an amendment in 1918. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, followed by the Senate two weeks later. After decades of dedication and commitment, the ratification was certified on August 26, 1920, changing the face of the American electorate forever.

Women on the presidential tickets of the major parties and how they have been treated.

Throughout the generations, various women have bravely stepped up and fought for their place on presidential tickets. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro was chosen by Walter Mondale as his vice-presidential running mate. When Geraldine Ferraro was nominated, the public didn’t know what to do with her. They perceived a female vice-presidential candidate as some kind of error or miscalculation. The political press started to judge her responsibility and capabilities from the appearance of her house. They were also confused about how she would take care of her daily household chores, such as taking care of her children, while also co-running the country. Not only did they pick on her service capabilities, but they also critiqued her appearance. She was told to “dress like a woman” and to “wear natural fabrics instead of synthetic.” The media even made fun of her for being a size 6. However, despite all the accusations and hurtful comments that were thrown her way, she continued to fight for her rightful place on the political stage.

Next in line was Sarah Palin. She became the Republican nominee for vice president in 2008. During her candidacy, she was heavily criticized. Even though she was able to be the mother of a big and busy family, while also running a business, some in the press voiced the opinion she wasn’t capable of completing the job as vice president. They said that her motherhood would compromise her ability to lead. While running for vice president, Sarah Palin also held a disagreeable, serious, and stubborn persona. She had strong opinions about various societal issues and expressed them without the fear of being frowned upon. This also produced some backlash since it conflicted with the image of a woman as mothering.

After Sarah Palin’s run, Hillary Clinton became the Democratic nominee for president, in 2016. During this time, women on the presidential ticket were still perceived as an object of fascination and novelty. Ms. Clinton was verbally abused and accused of being silted and calculating. Although she was not successful in her bid, by going through this experience, she was able to give advice to other women in political positions about what to expect and how to deal with sexist critique.

On the 11th of August 2020, Joe Biden announced that U.S. senator Kamala Harris would be his running mate. The majority of people were thrilled to hear the news and supported his decision, but others, including other political figures, still found a way to unfairly criticize her, calling her “nasty”, “horrible”, and “mad”. Not only was she name called, but she was also compared to a woman being auctioned off for the entertainment of men. However, Ms. Harris did not let these hurtful remarks affect her ambition. Learning from past situations, she warned the media against questioning her ambition and scrutinizing her appearance. In her first public remarks as the vice-presidential candidate, she presented and embraced herself as a maternal figure as a way to fend off anticipated criticism. “I’ve had a lot of titles over my career, and vice president will be great, but Momala will always be the one that means the most,” she said. Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as the democratic vice-presidential candidate shows us that there has been an improvement for women in politics and her election would provide the greatest hope yet for bigger positive changes for women in the future.