The percentage of Women in politics could go down, What? Since the Republicans are starting to take over the House, and they don't have that many female candidates, this could be the first time that the percentage of women lawmakers will decrease since 1979. That is 31 years that us women have kept our numbers up and in this next election we could be lossing ground. I thought we were supposed to start to gain a little bit more power and now i hear that our numbers could increase...that's not good. In this article some of the women had said that they should start going to the young girls to try and convince them that they too can become women leaders. Don't get me wrong, I believe in woman power, but I would never consider becoming a lawmaker of this country. But im sure there are some out there who alrady at this age, want to do that, even though I think those numbers are still low. But if women of power start going to young schools and talking about how women can have a first hand say in politics, maybe more young girls will start to believe that they too can become powerful.
6 comments:
It seems to me that, as a whole, our country continues to evolve and is becoming increasingly progressive. As those groups which have been historically underrepresented – gays, racial minorities, etc. – gain momentum as prominent forces of change, their numbers in government have risen. So why is it that the number of women in Congress is decreasing? That surely seems to be moving against the tide. As the article points out, if women constitute a majority of the population, then why is their proportion in leadership positions so low?
It’s true – Republicans generally elect more men than women to offices, and because the next session of Congress is going to be heavily Republican, that could explain the decrease in women. However, I believe that this may not be the only cause.
I myself have never once considered the possibility that I hold any less or any more power and importance than my male peers. When women were still fighting for equal rights, they were anxious and excited to get elect females to positions of power. But now, as the majority of young women feel no pressure to win rights and essentially take equality for granted, they may be less motivated to play an active role in trying to get women in leadership positions. However, the struggle has not been won – a male-dominated government continues to be the norm. Women as a whole have counted their chickens before they hatch.
-Jessia Hoffman
Despite the dwindling numbers, we must look at the breakthroughs in the past couple of years. For example, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was the first to "break the glass ceiling" when she became the first ever female to hold the third highest position in the land in 2008. Second, look at Hillary Clinton, who became the first female to make a run for the presidency in 2008. Even though she did not win the White House, I remember her making remarks along the lines of "shattering that glass ceiling that had existed for so long. Furthermore, there are several women who serve on high position at the state and local levels. I don't think this news is all that bad if you shed a little light on the positive aspects such as those mentioned above.
As an advocate for women power, I have never considered running for a high lawmaking position as I think it would be a very demanding job, and not something I would enjoy. That being said, I commend those who have made an effort to run. We have come along way. In my opinion, there is nothing to be down about.
I don't think that it would be wise for voters to simply vote for women candidates for office simply because they "could be lossing ground" [sic] with regards to their numbers in congress. As a democracy, we need to vote for candidates that will more effectively and fairly represent the interests of their constituencies. Is it such a travesty that more men are interested in politics as compared to women? Simply because there are more male janitors does not mean that this significant gap in representation means that men should complain because they are less equally represented as office secretaries and are forced into less well-paying jobs. Finally, stating that women should become involved in politics so that "they too can become powerful" is really missing the point of politics (well...mostly). Politics is not only a power game, and one does not have to be involved in politics in order to be deemed said "powerful".
I would tend to agree with Tim on this one; I think that the balance of power in politics is what it is. This post reminds me of a lot of articles that came out when Obama was first elected, discussing the "new tendency" to elect African-Americans. I don't think that there needs to be any discussion of race or gender in politics; the factors, though they help to shape each of our personalities, do not affect our aptitude in government. As the American populous becomes more diverse, we are electing an increasingly diverse Congress. As time goes by, the Congress will tend towards an accurate representation of what the public wants, even if it isn't reflective of the demographics.
Perhaps the women this year chose to stay home with their kids, or just weren't as well qualified as the men. Whatever the reason, more men were elected this time around, and the Congress will look different for the next two years. The next election will again change the faces in Congress: what group will be "reduced" in numbers then?
Allow me to clarify my position. I agree that we should not simply elect women to office for the sake of electing women to office; we must elect candidates who are the best fit for the job. What I wonder is this – why are there so many fewer women in government than men, especially in higher government positions? I concede that it could simply be because there are a greater number of male candidates who are more apt to serve in government than female candidates. But I believe that part of this trend has to do with young women of this generation accepting the American “tradition” of male-dominated politics. I think that many women (and men) have the idea – I guess it could even be included as a result of socialization – that male officials are the norm. Their lack of motivation to deviate from this set belief may be the answer to why fewer women are elected to office.
-Jessia Hoffman
I definitely feel that our current decrease is a temporary trend due in part to the Republican takeover/hijack/whatever. And as that article we received in the elections unit stated, the Republican party is only temporarily successful because it is drawing on the dwindling WASP crowd in America. Like Kathy stated, Congress represents what the people want or think they want. We all know for a fact that this election was a return (for many states) to the status quo. For many SW, Rustbelt, and MidAtlantic states, this is a return back to the traditional white male delegates. This being said, this election was not a total loss for women empowerment. Nikki Haley for example. Its definitely an achievement to see a South Asian American in such a high office. (though it personally bothers me that she and Bobby Jindal feel the need to convert their religion and Americanize themselves just for votes and power, and for those reasons I would not vote for them because they are sell-outs)
But I think Jessia's discussion about the blase attitudes this generation of women have towards women representation in our govt in general is interesting. Why is this so? In the generation of baby boomers, political activism was seen as a duty of the youth; they owe it to the nation to take power. But I think a few generations later, we see politicians emerging more for ambitious and egocentric ideas. Meg Whitman, Bobby Jindal, Arnold, the list goes on. This perception, which is probably wrong, turns off many people. And forget just politics. In general, we seem to be more interested in our own desires, needs, and ambition. Govt participation doesn't feel like a duty it did generations ago. Women are no exception. I think we are more interested in living out our lives to the fullest than making sure our numbers are well-represented in Congress.
Also, the negative perception of American women in politics in the media seems to attribute. When is the last time you have not felt that the media practically scream Harpie when covering female politicians like Pelosi, Clinton and Whitman. Especially in those antichrist shows like O'Reily and Rush Limbaugh. This perception needs to go, seriously. It is a big turn off.
Okay I wrote too much. I'm done
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