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Jennifer Delgado

Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

Women: They Belong in the House...and the Senate

Everybody had been on the edge of their seats to see the results of the 2016 U.S.

presidential election. For the first time in history, we had a female nominee, Hillary Clinton,

represent a major political party; a huge step for women in our country (Dann). On the other

hand, we had a man who had no political experience and boasted about grabbing women "by the

pussy" (NY Times New York Times). This man, Donald J. Trump, became the nation's

president. Clinton, previously the Senator of New York and the U.S. Secretary of State, was so

sure she would win, she had not prepared a concession speech, she admitted to CBS News.

Politico, an American political journalism company, even called Trump's victory the "biggest

upset in U.S. history." However, this defeat has attracted a new wave of attention to politics

"especially among young women" (Pew Research Center).

As a leading country, we like to believe we have dominated all aspects of development-

including social progress. Yet, when the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) classified 193

countries in 1999 by descending order of the percentage of women in the lower or single House,

the United States was ranked 41st. What's even more surprising: in the same study done earlier

this year, the U.S. stumbled down to the position 101. This result is a reflection of the mere 19%

of women in Congress: a total of 105 people fighting for the interest of 157 million women

(CAWP). In The Impact of Women in Public Office written by Susan J. Carroll, a Senior Scholar
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at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and a Political Science Professor,

Carroll questioned all U.S. congress members and found out that half of congresswomen had

worked on legislation that helped women directly, compared to only a third of their male

colleagues. Why is this important? This proves that the addition of diversity to our legislative

system does coincide with better representation of the population. In other words, we need more

women taking on political roles to truly satisfy our representative democracy.

In two decades, the percentage of all female parliamentarians worldwide has slowly

shifted from 11.3 per cent to 22.8 per cent (UN Women). Considering that women are slightly

over half of the world's population, we've still got a long way to go. According to the United

Nations, only two countries in the world have a single or lower house equally filled with

estrogen and testosterone: Rwanda (61.3%) and Bolivia (53.1%). However, one ought to

acknowledge that political empowerment is not the only step to achieving gender equality. The

World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report includes four dimensions: education,

health, economy, and politics. This year, the report listed the Nordic countries (along with

Rwanda) in its top five.

What have women done so far?

Including women into positions of power and leadership has proven to develop the

countries response to its constituents. In her most recent work, Legislating By Women For

Women "Legislating By Women For Women," Mary Hawkesworth collaborated with several

members of the CAWP to examine the work of congresswomen. Hawkesworth highlighted

several accomplishments and how despite differences amongst the parties, "the presence of

women made a difference in shaping the terms of debate and in the public policy outcomes in
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both Congresses" (5). When interviewed, the majority of the congresswomen admitted to feeling

an additional responsibility to represent far more than just their state. Barbara Boxer, previous

Democratic Senator of California, acknowledged that because "there are still so few women in

Congress... women from all over the country really do follow what you do and rely on you to

speak for them on the issues of womens health care, reproductive choice, condition of families,

domestic priorities, environment, [and] equal pay for equal work" (qtd. in Hawkesworth).

During the Bill Clinton presidency, congress-women made it clear that "women's issues"

were not limited to the issues listed above. When the Omnibus Crime Bill was signed, it included

the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) thanks to the proposal of Democratic Senator

Joseph Biden and the lobbying efforts and persuasion of all congress-women across party lines.

Women also voiced their opinions about gun control by pushing on an Assault Weapon Ban

under that same bill. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced an anti-stalking initiative

making it a federal crime to cross state lines with the intent of harassing or injuring another

person called the Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act (Hawkesworth). Evidently,

the inclusion of women in Congress has helped include in an additional perspective in the law-

making field, in this case addressing gender-based violence and general safety concerns.

The fight to preserve our choice has been an issue for over a century. The court case Roe

V Wade in 1973 made abortion legal, being protected by our Fourteenth Amendment to

privacy. Yet, several representatives in our government today, including the POTUS, have tried

limiting the extensions of women's choice by; for example, defunding locations that provide

abortions. The Republican Senator of Wisconsin, Scott Allen, recently argued that abortion

should be illegal because labor force shortages are tied to population declines (Hatch). You
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hear that, ladies? Apparently in the U.S., the best thing you can do as a woman is poop out

babies reproduce. That is your job, so Forget about self-fulfillment, economic security,

and independence- that's a man's world, according to Allen. But, at least we have

Senators like Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who are not afraid to break

from their parties to benefit the interest of women (Killough). Speaking on a much broader

health spectrum, Congresswomen have also helped fund research on diseases that affect women

primarily or exclusively, such as Breast and Cervical Cancer and Osteroporosis Osteoporosis,

along with others. Hawkesworth realized that the Womens Health Equity Act (WHEA) was

created because federally funded research done by the National Institute of Health was

exclusively testing medical treatments on men, even though they were approved for the use of

both men and women. Before the WHEA, women had not been included in medical research and

treatment, so thank you Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)- the author founder of the WHEA.

The differences between conservative and liberal women have made it much harder for

female politicians to agree upon a welfare reform that will relieve and help women out of

poverty (Hawkesworth). As more women represent a disproportionate percentage of the

population living in poverty, it is clear that this phenomenon is not sex-neutral. This is known as

the feminization of poverty (Rios). Many women in Congress shared their experiences as single

mothers to depict their struggles. When the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

block grant was approved, much of the framing of the bill was in favor of Republicans, since

they were the majority party in Congress at the time. However, the efforts of Republican senators

Nancy Johnson and Nancy Kassebaum shed light on the relevance of childcare and child support,

adding funding for childcare to the TANF bill (Hawkesworth).

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Let's Talk Internationally

Speaking of childcare, in Norway, there has been a direct correlation between more

women in municipal council positions and higher childcare coverage (UN Women). Women's

participatingion in local governments also makes a huge impact on the constituents, considering

that mayors and city council members directly influence decisions made in their communities.

Research done in local councils in India discovered that "the number of drinking water projects

in areas with women-led councils was 62 per cent higher than in those with men-led councils"

(UN Women). In India, women are responsible for collecting water. The women making these

projects consider the needs of other women, such as safety, which motivate them to bring these

initiatives closer to the community- something that would be harder for a man to acknowledge

since men do not suffer the same vulnerability or experiences as women.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental

organization that has supported democratic institutions and practices around the world for over

three decades, declared that "democracy without women is impossible," due to lack of

representation. Through research projects, the NDI also announced on their website that "as more

women are elected, countries experience higher standards of living; the priorities of families,

women and minorities are addressed; and confidence in democracy goes up." I speak of women

as one group, but as individuals, they differ from one another on the basis of class, ethnicity,

race, religion, education, sexual orientation, and hundreds of other factors. These differences are

what bring a variety of perspectives onto congressional debates; they are the faces of voices that

would not be heard had these women not been there otherwise. In countries with diverse

populations, having more female law-makers has led to legislation promoting integration and

creating anti-discrimination laws (NDI).

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According to the Public Radio International (PRI), an independent multi-media source, as

more women are elected in positions of power in the government, there has been a profound

effect on the peace and security of the country. Women are often associated with more

cooperative and compassionate traits. This has been proven correct, as women are "more

sensitive to human costs." For every five percent increase of women in the government, the

nation is five times less likely to use violence during international crisis. Female legislators have

also shown higher interest in supporting government funds for education and heath projects

rather than military expenses (O'Reilly). Not to mention, women use collaborative perspectives

to reach a goal more often than their male counterparts (Tootell).

Who do we blame?

Ourselves. We blame ourselves, as women, for not running in the first place. As Hillary

Clinton said during an interview with Amber Rose, producer of the Slut Walk, "you cannot win a

game you dont play." We blame ourselves, as silent accomplices of a patriarchal system that

benefits men. You saw Have you seen someone insult a woman's appearance to dismiss her

ideas, or to deny her an opportunity to get a promotion? Did you say anything to stand up for

her? Although I encourage that we take responsibility for our actions (or lack of them), we

ought to realize there are other barriers for the progress of women in politics.

What is causing the United States to stay behind in its efforts to

ensure women's representation in politics, if according to a Pew Research

Center poll done in 2014, three out of four Americans agreed that women and

men make equally good political leaders? Wisconsin University professors Barry

C. Burden and Yoshikuni Ono published the results of one of their studies
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through the academic journal "Reassessing Public Support for a Female

President" done in 2016, highlighting the background of the people that would

be opposed to a female president in the U.S. Upper class citizens and self-

identified Republicans proved to have the most bias against women. There is

also less bias from college graduates. Among races, people of Hispanic origins

were proven to be more likely to oppose a woman in political office, rather

than any other race.

However, this concept of power being a masculine trait has not been

limited to the general public. According to a Cambridge University Research

project, women are less likely to see their proposed reforms become law than

if a man had advanced an equal proposal. This means, that although women

sponsor and cosponsor a higher number of bills than their male colleagues, the

idea is more likely to be brushed away if proposed by a female (Council on

Foreign Relations). It is evident that there is discrimination against women

working political positions, from voters, colleagues, and the political system

itself that is a "patriarchal system, resistant to change and violent when

challenged" (BRECHENMACHER). SINCE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN STARTED, MORE AND MORE

POLITICIANS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR REGRESSIVE REMARKS ABOUT WOMEN. CURRENT

ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE ROY MOORE, CO-AUTHORED A 2011 STUDY COURSE THAT

EXPLAINED WHY WOMEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR OFFICE. THIS COURSE

PERSUADES ALL PEOPLE, BUT ESPECIALLY CHRISTIANS, THAT THEY HAVE THE MORAL
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OBLIGATION NOT TO VOTE FOR WOMEN (AL). NICE JOB, MOORE. AS IF SEXUALLY

HARASSING TEENAGERS HADN'T ALREADY PROVEN YOUR INSENSITIVITY TOWARDS WOMEN.

BUT HE IS NOT ALONE. TAKE OUR PRESIDENT FOR EXAMPLE, WHO LIKES TO INSULT AND

DISRESPECT FEMALES. OR CITY COUNSELOR OF NEW MEXICO, J.R. DOPORTO, WHO IN

RESPONSE TO THE WOMEN'S MARCH, SAID THAT WOMEN HAVE "THE RIGHT TO COOK...AND

CLEAN...[AND] GET SLAPPED" (BRINLEE).

FEMALE REPRESENTATIVES GO THROUGH MUCH MORE EMOTIONAL, VERBAL, AND

PHYSICAL HARASSMENT THAN MALE REPRESENTATIVES. IN A GLOBAL SURVEY REPORT DONE

BY THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, TWO OUT OF THREE WOMEN REPORTED "OFTEN"

BEING HUMILIATED BY SEXUAL OR SEXIST REMARKS. RESEARCH BASED OFF THE UNITED

STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND AUSTRALIA, PROVED THAT WOMEN UNDERGO MORE

ONLINE ABUSE THAN MEN. THE SAME STUDY, CONCLUDED THAT 44% OF FEMALE

REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN THREATENED DURING THEIR TIME IN OFFICE. THESE

INCLUDE THREATS OF RAPE, ABDUCTION, BEATINGS, AND ASSASSINATION. HOWEVER, THE

DANGER HAS GONE BEYOND THE SCARE TACTICS OF THREATS. WE HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL

POLITICIANS BEING BEATEN, SUCH AS MEXICAN SENATOR ANA GABRIELA GUEVARA, AND

OTHERS BEING KILLED, LIKE AFGHANISTAN'S ANGIZA SHINWARI WHO WAS TARGETED

THROUGH A BOMB ATTACK WHILE IN HER VEHICLE. THESE ACTIONS ARE A CLEAR ATTACK

ON THE LIBERATION AND PROGRESS OF WOMEN.

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Jennifer Lawless, Professor at the American University, wrote "Girls Just Wanna Not

Run," listing out several factors that drive (or stagnate) political ambition between college

students. Lawless studied the correlation between early exposure to politics in life and early

parental support for a political career to the political ambitions of the alumni at the moment.

Through her results, it is evident that women believe themselves to be less qualified to run for

office, even after establishing their career centered around law. This may partially be because

young women are two times less likely to be encouraged to run for office- by anyone. In another

publication by Lawless, "Why Don't Women Run?", female adults admitted to perceiving the

electoral environment as "highly competitive" and biased against female candidates. The Pew

Research Center acknowledged that these infamous perceptions about the government are based

on discriminatory and sexist actions said or done against recent female office-holders, such as

Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Sarah Palin. Women are also still responsible for the majority of

childcare and household tasks thanks to gender roles set up by our culture. Jennifer Lawless'

study proved that more interaction with politics from an early age, frames the future goals of

young people. Similarly, Christina Wolbrecht, a political scientist at Notre Dame University,

found that teenage girls are more likely to take an interest in politics when there is more media

coverage of women in politics. Wolbrecht also observed that young women were more likely to

participate in political discussions if there were more female legislators in their country. In India,

as more women were assigned leadership positions in their villages, parents became more

aspirational in what they expected out of their daughters (qtd in Oh). With all this stacked

evidence, it is safe to assume that the results from Lawless' studies can be applied universally.

Apply the "Power" in Empowerment

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So, ladies and gents, what now? Keep voting. Thankfully, lack of voting amongst women

is not the issue, since women have a high turnout rate, or Susan B. Anthony would be rolling in

her grave right now. Support women empowerment organizations! This can be done through

monetary donations, volunteering, or simply educating yourself about what it is they do. Call out

sexism, in all situations. Sexism and discrimination can be subtle and/or largely impactful.

Perhaps consider what a temporary gender quota would look like and how it would affect the

country. Our congressmen and women are great resources for help and, at the end of the day,

their position is to represent us, so I encourage you to contact them. And ladies, lets step it up;

it's time to get out of the home and start our work at the house...and senate.
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