It’s been in reach before, but has never come to fruition. Despite the momentous progress made in feminism in the past century, this country has yet to reach the milestone of having a female president. And unfortunately, despite all our progress in gender equality, America still isn’t ready to accept and respect a woman as president.
The root of our male-dominated executive branch is the misogyny and other gender prejudices that continue to shape our society, and its prevalence bleeds into all parts of American society, including politics. Gender prejudice is applied in many ways within political debates to belittle female opponents. Prejudice is often applied through critiques of women’s appearance, stereotypes related to being a woman or belittlement of their biological sex. According to Cambridge University Press, male politicians will employ derogatory stereotypes such as women being “controlling mothers” and “nagging wives.” By using terms such as these, politicians play into the fears and resentments of their voters, their fears of being led by the women in their lives, and showcase the misogyny that shapes current society. Secondly, gender prejudice serves another purpose in political debate. That being derailment of the debate through misogynist remarks. By veering debates into these arbitrary and irrelevant topics, politicians can avoid and diffuse debate and discussion with their opponents. This gives them a double advantage by attacking their opponent and avoiding professional debate.
Another reason for a lack of a female president is the limited rights for women and the regression we have seen in women’s rights in the past few years. With a new surge of conservatism and traditional gender roles, combined with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, women’s rights have been under attack. This leads me to believe that a female president is unlikely under a system that is actively pushing for traditional and domestic roles for women. These traditional and restrictive beliefs extend to the American public as well; if the voters don’t want women to be leaders, they won’t vote one into federal office.
Progress made in the feminist movement, especially in the past few decades, has made it possible for women to make their way onto the presidential ballot, but despite this, America is not prepared for a woman to lead this country. The concept of equality and feminism isn’t enough to undo the misogyny that women face in politics in time for a federal election. But by combating stereotypes and giving women the platform they deserve, America may be more readily prepared and accepting of a female president.
