Being a woman kinda blows. We suffer through periods, childbirth*, unrealistic expectations (my personal favorite being the manic pixie dream girl), and the wage gap. Of course, if you’re also part of the girl gang none of this is new for you.
Yet there is another price we pay as women that is less discussed: the intersection of our gender and governmental work.
As we watch Judge Amy Coney Barrett move through the hurdles of a Supreme Court nomination, it is more important than ever to discuss how our gender is weaponized in government.
The irony of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination is that her judicial opinions largely contradict the very essence of women’s rights. As reviewed by The New York Times and Politico, Judge Barrett has repeatedly argued against access to abortion and the Affordable Care Act (specifically its birth-control mandate).
Last year, Judge Barrett ruled that at an accused male perpetrator of sexual assault at Purdue University could proceed with a lawsuit claiming the school subjected him to gender discrimination. As explained by Politico, many women’s rights advocates fear this precedent may negatively impact victims alleging sexual assault on their respective campuses, as university officials may fear retaliation from perpetrators moving forward.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is no hero for women across America. Frankly, she is a prop whose gender is being used by the Trump administration to increase his votes. Judge Barrett is reaming the benefits of the feminist movement while actively hindering it. I wish I could be excited by her almost guaranteed appointment to the Supreme Court. But, it would be against the very foundation of feminism to prioritize her gender over her views. After all, we are fighting for equal treatment regardless of gender.
In another branch of our federal government within the Capitol Building, there are vast gender inequalities amongst legislators. Women only make up 25% of the Senate and 23% of the House of Representatives. Shockingly, this is an improvement compared to previous years.
A poll conducted by Ipsos and USA Today found “only 33% of likely voters of any party said they thought their neighbors would be comfortable with a female president.”
Electability is often the claim that stops women short from positions of power, but I also hear women are ‘too emotional’ or ‘too aggressive’— criticisms male candidates are often spared from. A study by The Wilson Center’s Lucina di Meco found that female candidates receive far more hate on social media compared to their male counterparts.
Our gender is a weakness when trying to pursue governmental work. It is weaponized, propagated, and picked apart online. Even so, the tide is turning. Despite the vast underrepresentation of women in the 116th Congress, a record number of women are serving as Senators and Representatives. Analysis performed by Open Secrets on the candidates in this year’s election indicates the 117th Congress will be even more diverse. I hope to see the day where our government accurately represents the gender diversity within the United States. Until then, we should all vote in pursuance of this dream.
*Disclaimer: not all women deal with periods and childbirth, transwomen are also part of the girl gang! Also, not all women have biological children and this DOES NOT diminish their femininity! I offer these woes as generalizations of our suffering but don’t want to invalidate anyone who does not endure these things <3
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