Influence of women legislators on policy issues in Congress
The increase of the number in Congress has highly influenced policymaking and passing of bills since it can help them diffuse their priorities throughout the legislative process. Due to high representation in the Congress, women can easily pass bills that favor them. Women highly influence policy issues in Congress through high representation and support from their colleagues. Women also tend to participate more in policies that are related to them or their children. Issues of women, children, and families happen to affect women directly, giving them the purpose to address them.
Problems such as domestic violence, slavery, owning property, and fair earning unite women of both parties (Kuperberg, 2018). Women unite to fight for what bothers them, and it is through this, women stand together against exploitation and unfair treatment. Women of color have influenced the inclusivity of everyone despite their skin color, texture, or race. They have influenced the representation of black women in Congress to fight for their rights. Recently, black women have fought against violence and discrimination in public. That was achievable through “black lives matters” movement which associate activist fighting against black American exploitation. Women are also affected by human trafficking, which they have been fighting for decades now.
The differences between how Democratic and Republican women candidates for public office campaign
Political parties are crucial in American politics because they give voters an idea of the candidate positions. Different parties have a diverse definition of social eligibility, legislative professionalism, and partisan composition. Republican and Democrats’ campaigns are different in terms of social structure, ideology, and political culture. However, Republicans tend to empower more women to join politics and aim for higher office (Ford, 2018). Inspired women who later join politics meets voters who discriminate them based on their inferiority. Some see these candidates as unqualified personnel for the top political seat. The perception is due to gender stereotypes that this is a man world, and women are subordinate. Due to such perceptions, women feel discouraged to pursue what they want. The media portrays women’s candidature as subjective, less talkative, and sexualized.
Most women tend to talk less than men, which sounds more subordinate than it looks. The media portrays women more in the entertainment industry than in politics. When featured in leadership, most talk less, with a submissive voice, whereas the man talks with so much power and command. Some of the obstacles women face while running for public office are discrimination and lack of support. Voters view women as less qualified candidates, especially if their competitor is a man (Krook, 2017). The perception of women by the general public has been their most significant obstacle for years. Women are generally seen as mothers who should stay at home and take care of the family. When women say they want to run for public office, voters see a housewife who wants to contest for a government office. Additional challenge women face is a lack of support from their family members. The husband thinks that the kids will have less time to spend with the mother when she gets to that office.
Why women running for local office is more acceptable to voters and party leaders
Women running for local office is acceptable because the office does not have a great influence on the nation. Again, the regional office personnel depends on the national office, in this case, the presidency, for policy implementation. That means that women still rely on a man for decision, and policy making. To influence political agenda, women have sought positions in parastatals and government commissions (Dolan & Swers, 2021). These bodies have a significant influence on the government’s politics and policymaking. The positions in these government bodies are easy to get especially for women with ambitions.
References
Dolan, J., Deckman, M. M., & Swers, M. L. (2021). Women and politics: Paths to power and political influence. Rowman & Littlefield.
Ford, L. E. (2018). Women and politics: The pursuit of equality. Routledge.
Krook, M. L. (2017). Violence against women in politics. Journal of Democracy, 28(1), 74-88. Web.
Kuperberg, R. (2018). Intersectional violence against women in politics. Politics & Gender, 14(4), 685-690. Web.