Calling all future Jeannette Rankins, it’s time to speak up.
In recent polls, females outvoted men. Just like they have in every single major national election since 1964. Over 60% of the female population voted, compared to only 55% of the male population. This imbalance has existed for years, but how does that reflect in polls? Different than one might expect.
While over half of the population identifies as female (and that half votes more than the other), only 19% of Senate is female, as well as less than a quarter of statewide representation identifying as female. This is up from only 6% in 1992, but we still have a long way to go. The United States is currently ranked 89th on female representation in government. We’ve fallen in past years as other nations have gained momentum in the movement for more equal representation in government. These include countries like Germany, Hungary, etc.
In the opinion of this humble Cincinnatian, we need better representation. As the great Beyonce once said, who runs the world? The fact of the matter is that every issue is a women’s issue, so women should have input on what they want to see, right? The core of this predicament is that social and cultural obstacles have prevented equal representation from occurring in government for far too long, but they do not have to. If we want a system that represents the people, it needs to consist of the kinds of people it represents. We need to see more women in government. Any girl raised in the United States should be able to see themselves in positions of power because other women have paved the way for them. So how can we close the gap to reach more equal representation?
Let’s start by busting the myth that women don’t have interest in becoming political leaders. In a recent study conducted by Jennifer Lawless of American University, surveying 4000 potential male and female candidates for office, found that women are more likely to perceive the political sphere as too competitive or not see themselves as worthy candidates. It’s time to see beyond that. It started with fighting for the right to vote, and now it’s our turn to fight for our spot. Current perceptions of women in politics are not what they need to be, but we can change that. Programs here at UC such as Elect Her and the CONNECT conference are meant to encourage and empower UC Bearcat women to reach their full potential. If you’ve never heard of these events before, I encourage you to look into them.
Thankfully, we are already witnessing the benefit of programs like these. Our student government recently had a female president, currently has a fair representation of females in the at-large senate and even more passionate leadership in the cabinet and boards (one of which I am a proud member). On top of that, women also hold exec positions in many of the organizations on campus. Kudos to you! The point of this article is not to provide discouraging statistics, but to emphasize the change we can already see happening. If you’re reading this and remember nothing else from the article, remember this, your voice counts. Your opinion matters, and it should be heard. So whether or not you’re the next pantsuits wearing candidate for president, remember that any small action which promotes the presence of women for women in government is an action worth making.