This week in class we focused on women in politics: the challenges, the rewards, and what women contribute as politicians and to the political community. Class was certainly more riveting this week, and we were in the company of some very important women serving on our panel. Their advice was useful, and I could see how I might use it if I were considering entering politics.
While I appreciated their valuable experience and insight, I couldn't help but notice the lack of diversity in their political beliefs. In short, they were all Republicans. Of course the root of the lesson was about women in politics, which is an issue for all women in any political party, so on the whole, their affiliations were not an important matter during the panel discussion. There were moments though, when I felt like they were too vocal about their affiliation, and too assumptive in the way they presented their beliefs, as though they were something we all agreed for, or an inside joke we were all partial to. I would have appreciated another view among them, to add some balance, and some perspective.
There were other moments during which I felt uncomfortable, one panel member told us to "think like a man, act like a lady, and look like a girl", this to me, is not a statement that empowers women, rather it perpetuates masogyny because it implies that women do not have valid thoughts or opinions to contribute, or at least not as important as their male counterparts.
In another part of the discussion, a panel member warned us against dressing like a "slut", a word that is, among other things, inherently demeaning to women. Of course every politician, business person, or anyone who holds a job, should dress professionally and appropriately for that job. Her statement made me wonder which of her coworkers, friends, or fellow women she had called this word. If I've learned anything in this course, I've learned that we must support and help our fellow women, not bring them down.
No comments:
Post a Comment