Voter Choice
Women have made a significant increase in their presence in politics and running as candidates. In recent years, women have fought the gender stereotypes that may work against them to break the gendered norms applied to them. For example, “the election in November 1984 was historic because for the first time in the history of this country a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, was the vice-presidential candidate of one of the two major political parties." [8] This historic event took so long due to multiple reasons, but it largely relates to sexism which “can have effects, whether blatant or more subtle, at various levels.” [9] Voters search for the masculine traits in the candidates but that expectancy steers them from the possibility and opportunity to have other genders making the decisions.
While there is a lot of difficulty being a woman in politics, there are some pros towards women running in politics. A few sources have indicated that female can represent themselves in ways that actually promote how they work and other women and men will be more likely to vote for them. It has been discussed how women have their particular strengths in political work while men have others, creating a better environment when the two work together. Specifically, “male candidates are considered better able to deal with foreign policy, the economy, defense spending, arms control, foreign trade, and farm issues; female candidates are considered better able to deal with day care, poverty, education, health care, civil rights, drug abuse, and the environment,” therefore women provide themselves with an upper hand when people turn to vote. [10] The citizens will evaluate their needs or wants within the political world and when they understand this concept, women can gain more votes as well. Even with some stereotypes and while, “there may be pervasive views about women in politics that prevent women from running or winning, most researchers demonstrate that when they do run, women receive as many votes as men, at least in the United States..” [11]
References:
[8] Rosenwasser, Shirley M,. Robyn R. Rogers, Sheila Fling, Kayla Silvers-Pickens, and John Butemeyer. "Attitudes toward Women and Men in Politics: Perceived Male and Female Candidate Competencies and Participant Personality Characteristics." Political Psychology 8, no. 2 (1987): 191-200. https://doi.org/10.2307/3791299.
[9] Rosenwasser, Shirley M,. Robyn R. Rogers, Sheila Fling, Kayla Silvers-Pickens, and John Butemeyer. "Attitudes toward Women and Men in Politics: Perceived Male and Female Candidate Competencies and Participant Personality Characteristics." Political Psychology 8, no. 2 (1987): 191-200. https://doi.org/10.2307/3791299.
[10] Paxton, Pamela, Sheri Kunovich, and Melanie M. Hughes, "Gender in Politics," Annual Review of Sociology 33 (2007): 263-84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737763.
[11] Paxton, Pamela, Sheri Kunovich, and Melanie M. Hughes, "Gender in Politics," Annual Review of Sociology 33 (2007): 263-84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737763.