Too Few Women in Politics: Lack of Interest or Low Self-Esteem?

As November of 2008 approaches, this nation is entering the homestretch of what really seems like a presidential derby. With such high stakes and the loudmouth megaphone media creating a political landscape of anxiety and urgency, as well as excitement, a horse-race certainly seems like a fitting metaphor.

Overall, given our circumstances, it’s really easy to get lost among the chaos and forget about the true purpose of an election, which is of course the realization of democracy. A functional democratic society requires more than a presidential election, and representation must go beyond a female or African-American presidential hopeful. While both Clinton and Obama are symbols of new possibilities, which is wonderful, the same enthusiasm should be applied to making sure that all groups within the U.S. citizenry are properly represented in all other levels of government.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the facts, focussing on women as a whole (which includes all races and classes). Women comprise about 52% of the U.S. population, which is a majority. At odds with this reality is the fact that women only represent about 23.6% of state legislators nation-wide. In North Dakota, which has about the same percentage of women, only 17.7 percent of state legislators are women. On a larger scale, out of the 532 seats in the 110th U.S. Congress, only 86 (or 16%) of those seats are occupied by women. Similarly, only 16 women serve in the U.S. Senate. One last statistic for you: in North Dakota over the last 30 years, only 8 women have served as elective executives.

To put all of this into perspective, imagine if 84% of the U.S. senate were women and in the last 30 years of North Dakota politics, only 8 men had been present as elective executives. I can just see the sexist political cartoons depicting politics as one big giggly, toe-nail-painting, pillow-fighting slumber party right now. Were that the case, the imperative to correct the situation as a duty to democracy would be heightened, I’m sure. Unfortunately, as the reverse is the reality, it is about time that making sure women are properly represented becomes a priority.

The responsibility to improve the state of affairs does not fall to voters, however. Studies show that women and men perform equally well in elections. The simple fact of the matter is that women aren’t running! Why is this?

It has been suggested that women are simply not interested in politics, but I beg to differ. Women were assumed to be uninterested in sports until more opportunities and encouragement were offered to female athletes following the implementation of Title IX (which prohibited sex discrimination against students and opened the door to women in athletics).

This question was also investigated in a study issued by Brown University in 2004. The study did not support the common explanation that women are simply less likely to be willing to engage in a rigorous campaign. Rather it reveals that women are actually more willing than men to deal with a time-consuming campaign, fundraising, the press, and constituents. It did, however, reveal that men are two thirds more likely than women to view themselves as “qualified” or “very qualified” and that women are twice as likely as men to view themselves as “not at all qualified”, and are also significantly less likely to be confident in their odds of winning.

Ultimately, the task is left to women to enter politics and to represent, and in doing so, to become more self-assured and confident as far as their political qualifications. It is also the duty of society to encourage and nurture leadership and political confidence and competence in women and girls.

If you are a woman and have been thinking about running for office, even if just for the park board or school board, ask yourself why you haven’t done it yet. As it has been shown, you are likely more qualified and have a better chance at winning that you think! Not only that, but you are essential in the process of democracy and have more value than just your presidential vote. If you are a man, encourage the women in your life to become politicized.  Nurture leadership in those women and recognize their strengths and qualifications.

In doing so, we all gain the privilege of living in a nation whose entire government, and not just its president, represents all of its people, just as it is meant to.

Resources

New Leadership: A five-day residential program designed to provide leadership training, inspiration, and support for women who do not already have extensive leadership experience. http://appserv.mnstate.edu/whitede/conference/
June 5-9, Concordia College
Application Deadline: 3/28/08

Emily’s List: A political action committee which aims to support, encourage, and help elect democratic pro-choice women. http://www.emilyslist.org

North Dakota Women’s Network: The NDWN seeks to “serve as the catalyst for improving the lives of women through communication, legislation and increased public activism” http://www.ndwomen.org