The recent disparaging remarks by Donald Trump against Kamala Harris have once again spotlighted the rampant sexism entrenched in politics
The Republican presidential nominee Donal Trump’s recent disparaging comments against her Democratic rival, Vice President Harris about her ‘appearance’, re-established the fact that ‘sexism is very much alive in American politics’. His party, however, had denied that ‘it had anything to do with race or gender’. Harris, on the other hand, urged Trump to commit to debating her, ‘if he got something to say’. Such sexist vilification, many believe, is on the expected lines in a country that had no women, and only one person of colour as president, which is now, for the first time, having a woman of colour running for the presidency on a major party ticket. Harris’ entry into the presidential battle has unleashed a wave of misogyny, and personal attacks on her marriage and stepchildren. She is also accused of leaning into ‘being Black for political expediency’. Republican vice-presidential nominee Cyrus Vance’s remarks that the Democratic Party is dominated by ‘childless cat ladies’, with no ‘direct stake’ in America’s future, is also a dig at Harris’s life choices.
While, early this year, Nikki Haley, the first woman governor of South Carolina, when encountered the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, she was dismissed as a ‘token’ candidate, and her achievements hardly got any attention. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had to undergo similar ordeals with apprehensions about her health and integrity, and even for her political ambitions. In 2008, Sarah Palin wasn’t spared, she was constantly jeered at for her looks, personal life and intelligence, while her policy positions and records were overlooked. While only a relatively small share of the US adults (18%) consider that it is important that a woman be elected as president in their lifetime, most (64%) say this is not too or not at all important or that the president’s gender doesn’t matter. Overall, 62% of Americans believe that the media focuses too much on the physical appearance of women contesting for high elected offices, and there is not enough attentiveness to their views on key policy matters (Pew Research Centre). Along the party lines, 25 per cent of Republicans are of the view that ‘men generally make better leaders than women, only 4 percent said that women are better suited to lead’.
While, Democrats, were found to be ‘more likely to say women were better leaders than men’ (August, 22, PerryUndem survey). ‘Many of the politicians may be progressive in their policy beliefs, but, when it comes to equity, their socialisation around gender stereotypes and expectations is quite stubborn’, commented Kelly Dittmar, professor, of political science, at Rutgers University. In the USA, women hold only 27.9 per cent of seats in Congress, while, there is currently no Black woman in the Senate.
A 2016 IPU study on the experiences of fifty-five women members of national parliaments from 39 countries across the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Arab countries, confirmed that ‘sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians are very real and rampant’. While, psychological violence, the most widely spread, and, now, more on social media, affected 81.8 per cent of the respondents surveyed. A majority (61.5 per cent) believed that such behaviour and/or violence was intended primarily to dissuade them from continuing in politics. While ‘young and feminist women parliamentarians are particularly targeted’, said an Asian parliamentarian. A parliamentarian from sub-Saharan Africa underscored that ‘men need to be educated about the benefits of women’s presence in parliament’. While, many opined that an increase in the number of women in parliament and solidarity among them, can help change such a political culture.
While, in India, women parliamentarians, a minuscule minority, just 13.63% of the elected strength of the Lower House, much less than the 33% that the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, proposes to put into effect, face sexist comments from all corners, their colleagues, rivals or voters, and their achievements reduced to their gender only, rued a women’s rights activist. An erstwhile woman Union minister lamented that ‘when a woman is attacked, she gets attacked for her character, but never for her policymaking’. Women politicians, cutting across party lines, seem to agree on the issue of character assassination, and consider that it ‘reflects the larger psyche of the society’. Many also complain that ‘women politicians aren’t taken seriously…, and male members have been often preferred for speaking on serious issues, while, women are only expected to raise soft issues’. Outright misogynist remarks are quite the norm in political discourse.
Recently, a senior woman Rajya Sabha MP expressed discomfort with her identity being tied to her husband‘s name by the Chair. Globally, only 26.9 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are now women (IPU). Many countries have resorted to women’s quotas and reserved shares. But, that’s not enough. What is needed is a nuanced approach to addressing the issues of sexism and double standards existing within the political parties and parliament.
Political parties must have an internal assessment mechanism to look into the gaps in all areas of internal practices and operations. A parliament must also ensure inclusivity in its work processes and outputs, with the help of a strong regulatory framework. Gender parity and pluralism are essential in electoral politics for the greater good.
(The author is former Director General, Doordarshan, All India Radio; views expressed are personal)
