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Rosie The Riveter
Picture from GOOD articleI recently found an article entitled "Why Don't We Have More Women Politicians?"
You can read it here: http://www.good.is/post/why-don-t-we-have-more-women-politicians/
The article mentions many of the points we have discussed in class, which I found encouraging especially because that indicates that these ideas are gaining traction in the world outside of academia as well (which is always encouraging). The post mentions a few different organizations that help women run for office, and they get a few quotes from an employee at Marie C. Wilson's White House Project as well. One of the quotes from Erin Vilarde from the White House Project struck me as particularly interesting:
"When asked what female candidates can anticipate on the trail, Vilarde says, “Be prepared for your political party to not be as excited about you as they are about even a less qualified man.”"
Although this idea is something we have discussed as an obstacle, I thought the words "not as excited" depicted an interesting angle of the issue. If excitement within a political party really is an issue or obstacle that faces women -- isn't that an easy fix?
Perhaps what is needed is not just for more individual women to run to raise the profile of women, but to actually have a pro-women running for office public relations campaign. This may sound a little kitschy or ridiculous, but could something like that work? I personally think this could have some potential...
Would a Rosie the Riveter type campaign translate well for 2010? Maybe Patti the Politician? What do you all think?
In any event I definitely recommend checking out the article -- it also links to a really excellent site with the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics (http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/women_of_color/politics.php)
2 comments:
Alex - I really enjoy your post. This is a very interesting article.
One of the things I am thinking to do when I will be going back home is to open an organization that trains women how to run for office and I found motivating information here.
One of the things we had been discussing in class and I found remarkable that the author pointed here was this quote: “A woman needs to appear competent for the public, and her political party”.
The thing is what people see as “competent” for a man sometimes it is not for a woman. We (women) have to try harder. I also think that is the reason why more women are in college and advanced programs than men, as Jonathan said in this blog before. I definitely do not think we are applying “quotas” in the academic areas in America. I believe women are “getting in the arena”. I agree that the world is changing. I think at first, women tried to get involved in these fields, but now, they are proving themselves and to the world that they are capable and they are doing very good.
Alex - I really enjoy your post. This is a very interesting article.
One of the things I am thinking to do when I will be going back home is to open an organization that trains women how to run for office and I found motivating information here.
One of the things we had been discussing in class and I found remarkable that the author pointed here was this quote: “A woman needs to appear competent for the public, and her political party”.
The thing is what people see as “competent” for a man sometimes it is not for a woman. We (women) have to try harder. I also think that is the reason why more women are in college and advanced programs than men, as Jonathan said in this blog before. I definitely do not think we are applying “quotas” in the academic areas in America. I believe women are “getting in the arena”. I agree that the world is changing. I think at first, women tried to get involved in these fields, but now, they are proving themselves and to the world that they are capable and they are doing very good.
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