On March 9, 2019, I attended a democratic meeting for Cobb county called Donuts with Democrats, at the Smyrna Community Center. I was very excited to go because I had never been to any type of political event in my lifetime. When I got there most of the people in the room were about 40 years old and up and it was very diverse. There were a lot of women in the democratic committee. I’m pretty sure I was the youngest person in the room. Initially, the secretary was the first speaker. He spoke about events that the Democratic party of Cobb county would be doing.
The main focus of the meeting was about woman’s rights, which I loved being a part of since I am also a woman. There was a lady who was the senator of Cobb county that spoke about how important it is to have women in congress. She also spoke about how as the time goes by more and more woman are becoming more important in Congress, which I believe is great. This made me think back on how at one-point woman didn’t even have the right to vote and as time has progressed, we are now having a big impact on the government. When the senator was speaking, I could tell the women in the room felt empowered. There were women holding up signs that said woman’s power. This made me think about the feminist theory, which was a political project to end women’s inequality and oppression. I think that by the way these women were speaking at this event women are becoming more equal to men in politics. I wouldn’t say that it’s fully equal, but it has improved a lot more since the 1980s when liberal feminism began. A key example was Hilary Clinton running for president. Who would have thought that a woman would actually make it that far in an election century’s ago? On CNN’s website there is an article which quotes, “A record breaking number of women are running for office in 2018” (Sparks, 2018). I think that the Democratic parties are embracing the idea of gender equality, a lot more than the Republican party. If I were to go to a Republican meeting, I’m sure there would have been a lot of older white men there, and I’m almost certain they wouldn’t allow the woman to hold up signs that said “woman’s power” on them. Why does the republican party elect so few women? I asked a fellow peer in the meeting this question and she answered, “I think the republican party is about big business and being very conservative.” She also said that she thought the Republican party was a very old school and did not want to accept change. I agreed with her points and I think that’s why the democratic party is called the “people’s party.”
A democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state. A democracy should reflect the diversity of its population. In other words, there should be more women running and getting elected for the Republican party just as the Democratic. “Studies show that women who are running for office need to be “likeable” in a way that men do not” (Bergland, 2013). Men have always been known to mature much slower than women. There is scientific data which actually proves that women develop faster than men. “Scientists at Newcastle University in the UK have discovered that girls tend to optimize brain connections earlier than boys.” Women are obviously very capable of being in congress and we are usually less competitive than men.
To conclude, this event allowed me to gain more knowledge about things that are going on in this world that I would not have researched on my own. The United States as a whole should include more women as candidates for both parties and actually elect them. Women should have more opportunities to run for the Republican party instead of just Democratic. This country should make gender equality a priority. More women in congress is beneficial because women will bring up different policy issues and problem-solving skills that men may not have on their own. Women are just as smart, if not smarter than men, and we deserve to have the same opportunities and rights as men do. We have come very far from not being able to vote to women being in congress. It’s a slow process but this country has made improvements towards women rights.
Works Cited
Bergland, C. (2013, December 20). Scientists Identify why Girls Often mature Faster Than Boys. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201312/scientists-identify-why-girls-often-mature-faster-boys
Sparks, G. (2018, September 17). 256 women won House and Senate primaries, a huge new record. Retrieved from CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/16/politics/house-women-update-september/index.html
Hey! First off, I would like to say that this is so amazing how women are finally getting the chance to become the face of something so important. As I was reading through your article, I saw that you made a point about women being equal in everything. Including being represented in the Democratic and Republican party. I went to a political event as well and to see women in the front instead of being buried in the back is such a good feeling. That women are finally getting a more understanding voice because things can get misunderstood with men sometimes.
I agree that women that there should be more women running for government positions because, in my opinion, the gender gap is still one of the political cleavages that remain to be ignored up until this day and women’s political participation plays a pivotal role in upholding democracy.
According to Jennifer McCoy, Tahmina Rahman, and Murat Somer, “Polarized societies make democracies vulnerable.” Through voting, running for office, and engaging in civil society as leaders and activists, women can make a difference in crafting laws, policies, and decisions in preventing democracy from backsliding. Democratic backsliding is a process that starts from a democratic quo, ordinary people play a central role in it (Svolik, 2019), and in this regard women can be catalysts for change by continuously advocating the acknowledged yet unattended problems such as health, poverty, education, environmental concerns, and other domestic concerns while at the same time participating in decision making.
As long as women will continuously be seen as the weaker gender, and as long as the world will always equate women’s conquest to childbearing and motherhood, this polarization will persist. Considering that women are always equated with empathy, let us turn this supposed weakness instead into strength. Empathy according to Trinh (1989), takes on board the struggles of others by listening to what they have to say in a conversational style that does not push, direct, or breakthrough to a linear progression which gives the comforting illusion that one knows where one goes.”
If women will be given more opportunities to participate and represent their causes, their decisions will play important roles in achieving inclusive and effective democratic governance. This particular polarization issue must be addressed first so other political cleavages will be resolved and be given importance too. As you pointed out, “we [women] deserve to have the same opportunities and rights as men do.” Democracy after all, according to Diamond (2002) requires not only free, fair and competitive elections but also the freedoms that make them truly meaningful. Involving women in saving democracy will make the fight more meaningful.
I agree that there should be more women running for government positions because, in my opinion, the gender gap is still one of the political cleavages that remain to be ignored up until this day and women’s political participation plays a pivotal role in upholding democracy.
According to Jennifer McCoy, Tahmina Rahman, and Murat Somer, “Polarized societies make democracies vulnerable.” Through voting, running for office, and engaging in civil society as leaders and activists, women can make a difference in crafting laws, policies, and decisions in preventing democracy from backsliding. Democratic backsliding is a process that starts from a democratic quo, ordinary people play a central role in it (Svolik, 2019), and in this regard women can be catalysts for change by continuously advocating the acknowledged yet unattended problems such as health, poverty, education, environmental concerns, and other domestic concerns while at the same time participating in decision making.
As long as women will continuously be seen as the weaker gender, and as long as the world will always equate women’s conquest to childbearing and motherhood, this polarization will persist. Considering that women are always equated with empathy, let us turn this supposed weakness instead into strength. Empathy according to Trinh (1989), takes on board the struggles of others by listening to what they have to say in a conversational style that does not push, direct, or breakthrough to a linear progression which gives the comforting illusion that one knows where one goes.”
If women will be given more opportunities to participate and represent their causes, their decisions will play important roles in achieving inclusive and effective democratic governance. This particular polarization issue must be addressed first so other political cleavages will be resolved and be given importance too. As you pointed out, “we [women] deserve to have the same opportunities and rights as men do.” Democracy after all, according to Diamond (2002) requires not only free, fair and competitive elections but also the freedoms that make them truly meaningful. Involving women in saving democracy will make the fight more meaningful.