The entire world is watching the US elections, which have been considered to be one of the hardest-fought battles. The election is crucial not just for the United States but for the entire world, which has been witnessing scores of wars.
The battle is between Donald Trump of the Republican Party and Kamala Harris, a Democrat who is also the vice president of the United States. The question that now arises is, whether America is ready for a woman president.
The election day is November 5, and if the US elects Haris, a Black, Asian American woman, it would be historic on several levels. In the US, stereotypes have for long hindered women candidates. They have been cast as emotional, weak and sensitive in nature.
Now, is America ready for that change? Some researches show that the US is increasingly showing women leaders as synonymous with political leadership and also as more effective than male politicians. This time, it is also being said that women are better fit for public office, and this could help Harris in the long run.
All these years, the main obstacle for women leaders is the gender stereotype. Men are, in general, assumed to have masculine traits, and this explains why Harris, during one of her campaign trails, was seen sipping beer. Men are also seen to be as ambitious and competitive in nature, while the women are assumed to have feminine traits such as being compassionate and warm. In these applications of gender stereotypes, the voters end up with different execrations for men and women.
The other problem is that if the women assert themselves as dominant, then they violate the expectations of femininity. On the other hand, if they behave in a stereotypical way, they are not seen as strong leaders.
A survey conducted in 2011 showed that the stereotypes of women politicians lacked clarity. This meant that people had no clear expectations. However, by 2021, several prominent women politicians, such as Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, had reshaped the landscape for women seeking office. This was thanks to them for shaping and solidifying public expectations.
Women in the spotlight
Over the last decades, when compared to the previous decades, women have assumed political roles in the US. The number of women in Congress increased from 90 to 145 between the 11th Congress, which met from 2009 to 2011, to the 117th Congress, which met from 2021 to 2023.
Further, politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Pelosi and Liz Cheney have received a lot of attention from both the media and the electorate. The gender stereotypes about women politicians became more positive, and the voters grew more familiar with them. This has gone on to create a political landscape for Kamala Harris.
Around 10 years back, the people did not agree on the traits that defined women politicians. Many described them as tough, but an equal number considered them to be weak. While some saw them as rational, others said that they were unable to separate feelings from ideas. There were traits that larger groups of people agreed upon to describe women politicians, a survey conducted by the Conversation said.
The survey found that women are intelligent, rational, analytical, ambitious and moral. On the other hand, many found them weak and spineless.
Male politicians were earlier seen as confident, well-educated, charismatic and driven. This perception has slowly shifted now and they are today seen as more negative. They are also being viewed as power hungry, selfish, self-interested and manipulative. This shows that over the years, voters in the US have become more negative towards male politicians.
A shift in thinking
Women were seen as incompatible with leadership stereotypes. However, the survey shows that this mismatch has subsided. Between 2011 and 2021, the scores for women politicians increased on all four leadership traits valued by voters: integrity, leadership, empathy and competence. In contrast, the men politicians have lost ground on these traits.
This gradual shift in thinking could benefit Harris. Voters are now more likely to view Harris as a candidate who fits into a leadership role. Women politicians may have a chance to restore trust in politics.
While surveys do show the gradual shift in the mindset of the voters towards women candidates, nothing can be said until the results are out. There were similar assumptions even during the 2015 elections, when Hillary Clinton clashed with Donald Trump. Eventually, Trump went on to win the elections, and many had said that it was the closest a woman candidate had come to winning. However, at the end of it, the US showed that it was still not ready for a woman President.
