OPINION: Women in politics: the good, the bad, and why we need more

Editor’s Note: This piece was first published in The New Poltical’s spring print.

Julianna Rittenberg is a sophomore studying political science and an opinion writer for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

As Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute and Fund, says: “when women run, we win.” We need more girlbosses in politics so that identity matters less, and the real things stand out: the policies we support. 

Since its conception, identity politics have influenced voting and support of policies. People feel a kinship with a candidate for office and may be more inclined to vote for them. Identity politics originated in the 1970s with the rise of progressive social movements that influenced Democratic party politics. Identity politics is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a tendency for people of a particular religion, ethnic group, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics.” 

Beyond that, they may feel confident that a candidate who identifies similarly to them will support certain policies that affect their identity group, or will consider certain effects that a policy may have that someone who is not part of that identity would not think of. Identity politics exists, especially social media, as a way for people to find common ground.

For example, a majority of women support the right to have an abortion. Therefore, women may be more inclined to vote for another woman because they believe that is someone who will fight for bodily autonomy. 

There is also the issue of representation. In a world where people are constantly pushing back against oppression and fighting to make things better instead of worse, representation is a major part of the battle. Someone who identifies as LGBTQ+ may feel more inclined to vote for a LGBTQ+ candidate to increase representation and visibility. 

Women candidates for office, at any level of government, face challenges that their male counterparts do not. The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute published a report about LGBTQ+ women running for office, which stated that “many LGBTQ women report hesitating to run because of the likelihood their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or race will be used negatively by opponents or journalists to harm their campaigns.”

The report also found that women are less likely to run for office if they have not participated or campaign related activities before. Women are more scared of failing because it is seen as a failure of the entire gender, rather than the circumstances or individual. Essentially, there is more pressure on women to succeed in the political arena. 

Pew Research Center found that “45% of U.S. adults overall – including 57% of women – said many Americans not being ready to elect a woman to higher office was a major reason why there were fewer women than men in these positions.”

When women run for office, they must deal with pressure to succeed, sexism both in person and online, criticisms about how they balance family expectations and a demanding job (whether or not they have a family) and more comments about how they dress and look than their policies and ideas.

However, there are women out there in the world who do it anyway because they know it will not get better until we get through it. 

Yet, just because they are women does not mean their policies are perfect or even good. Identity is not everything. 

An international example of this is the first woman Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni; a far-right extremist with ties to the Italian Social Movement, a political party founded to support Mussolini’s policies after his reign. She is anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant, as well as a member of the fascist party in Italy. In a speech during her 2019 campaign, she stated: “I am Giorgia, I'm a woman, I'm a mother, I'm Christian.” This is not a reason to vote for Meloni. In the same speech, she went on to say that “they,” people who do not fit into a white, heterosexual, cisgender, Christian identity, were taking away Italians’ way of life and turned to the conservative talking point of us versus them, the norm versus the abnormal. 

In the United States, there is current Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who is trying to out-conservative Trump and DeSantis to win the nomination. In the three weeks since announcing her candidacy, Haley used her announcement video to attack the Black Lives Matter movement through language about our country’s history, has proclaimed that DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” law did not go far enough and announced her support for politician mental competency tests. While Nikki Haley may be breaking the glass ceiling with her run, as she has previously in her career, she is not doing it in a way that helps other women or lifts woman up.

There are good examples of women leaders in politics, who deserve our attention and focus.

One of these women is former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She announced her resignation in January of this year, citing burnout as the reason. When she was elected in 2017, she was the world’s youngest female leader at 37 and was generally respected across the world, yet did face a lot of hate that comes with a 24-hour news cycle and being a leader during COVID-19. Ardern represented a new kind of female leader. She is not married, gave birth while in office, frequently brought her daughter to work, is one year off from being a Millennial and has a side job as a DJ. She showed young women that they can find a life balance that works for them. She shows that a demanding schedule does not have to mean losing yourself, but that you do have to be prepared to step back.

Michigan is home to State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who is an example of everything we should try to be. She uses her seat to be an advocate for everyone, even those whose experiences are different than hers. McMorrow went viral in April 2022 for a speech she gave about LGBTQ+ hate, where she fought back against a colleague who had called her a “groomer” for supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Since the speech, McMorrow has risen in political power, and was even asked to run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2024–which she declined. McMorrow is at the beginning of her career, and the country is watching to see what she does next. 

Lastly, Ohio has State Senator Nickie Antonio, the LGBTQ+ woman who is currently minority leader of the Ohio Senate and the only out member of the Ohio legislature. She has served as a voice for LGBTQ+ people in the state for years, representing District 23 which consists of parts of Cleveland and western Cuyahoga County. As the legislature is attempting to pass several anti-LGBTQ+ bills this General Assembly, having her voice in such an important role is more important than ever. We can only hope more will join her in the future.