6.2 Barriers to women's political leadership

Women face numerous barriers to political leadership, rooted in social norms, institutional structures, and economic disparities. These obstacles range from traditional gender roles and stereotypes to male-dominated political parties and unequal access to resources.

Overcoming these barriers requires multifaceted strategies. These include mentorship programs, advocacy for gender-sensitive policies, and efforts to challenge stereotypes. By addressing these issues, we can create more inclusive political systems that empower women leaders.

Social and cultural barriers

• Social and cultural barriers are deeply ingrained attitudes, beliefs, and practices that hinder women's political participation and leadership
• These barriers are often rooted in patriarchal norms and traditional gender roles that limit women's opportunities and influence in the public sphere
• Overcoming social and cultural barriers requires challenging and transforming societal attitudes and expectations about women's roles and capabilities

Traditional gender roles

Top images from around the web for Traditional gender roles

• 

  Frontiers | Traditional Gender Role Beliefs and Career Attainment in STEM: A Gendered Story? View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ReformProject - Liana and Cassidy --Women's Rights Movement 1960-Present View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Frontiers | Women's Visibility in Decision Making Processes in Africa—Progress, Challenges, and ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Frontiers | Traditional Gender Role Beliefs and Career Attainment in STEM: A Gendered Story? View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ReformProject - Liana and Cassidy --Women's Rights Movement 1960-Present View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Traditional gender roles

• 

  Frontiers | Traditional Gender Role Beliefs and Career Attainment in STEM: A Gendered Story? View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ReformProject - Liana and Cassidy --Women's Rights Movement 1960-Present View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Frontiers | Women's Visibility in Decision Making Processes in Africa—Progress, Challenges, and ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Frontiers | Traditional Gender Role Beliefs and Career Attainment in STEM: A Gendered Story? View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ReformProject - Liana and Cassidy --Women's Rights Movement 1960-Present View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Traditional gender roles confine women to the private sphere of home and family, while men are expected to occupy the public sphere of politics and leadership
• Women are often socialized to prioritize domestic responsibilities and caregiving roles over their political ambitions and careers
• Challenging traditional gender roles involves promoting a more egalitarian division of labor within households and encouraging men to share in domestic and caregiving responsibilities
• Examples: Women being expected to prioritize child-rearing and household management over their political careers (stay-at-home moms), men being seen as the primary breadwinners and decision-makers in the family (male heads of household)

Stereotypes and bias

• Gender stereotypes and biases perpetuate the belief that women are less suited for leadership roles and that politics is a masculine domain
• Women politicians often face double standards and are judged more harshly than their male counterparts on their appearance, personal lives, and leadership styles
• Combating stereotypes and bias requires raising awareness about the impact of gender stereotyping, promoting diverse representations of women in leadership, and challenging discriminatory attitudes and practices
• Examples: Women politicians being criticized for being too ambitious or aggressive (bossy, shrill), while similar traits are praised in men (assertive, strong), assumptions that women are too emotional or irrational to make tough decisions (hormonal, hysterical)

Lack of family support

• Women often face resistance and lack of support from family members when pursuing political careers, particularly in cultures with strong patriarchal norms
• Balancing family responsibilities with the demands of political life can be challenging, especially without the support and understanding of family members
• Encouraging family support involves promoting more egalitarian family structures, challenging traditional gender roles within families, and advocating for policies that support work-life balance
• Examples: Women being discouraged by family members from running for office (politics is not for women), husbands or partners feeling threatened by their wives' political ambitions (emasculated, overshadowed)

Unequal access to education

• Women's unequal access to education and training opportunities can limit their political participation and leadership potential
• In many parts of the world, girls and women face barriers to accessing quality education due to poverty, cultural norms, and discriminatory practices
• Promoting equal access to education involves investing in girls' education, challenging cultural attitudes that devalue women's education, and providing targeted training and capacity-building programs for women leaders
• Examples: Girls being denied education in favor of their male siblings (son preference), women being excluded from political training programs or networks (old boys' club)

Institutional and structural barriers

• Institutional and structural barriers are the formal and informal rules, practices, and systems that disadvantage women in political institutions and processes
• These barriers are often embedded in the design and operation of political institutions, electoral systems, and party structures that have historically been dominated by men
• Addressing institutional and structural barriers requires reforming political institutions and processes to be more inclusive and gender-sensitive

Male-dominated political parties

• Political parties are often male-dominated spaces where women face barriers to entry, advancement, and influence
• Male party leaders and members may resist efforts to promote women's leadership and may engage in discriminatory practices such as excluding women from decision-making roles or providing less support and resources to women candidates
• Transforming male-dominated political parties involves implementing gender quotas, promoting women's leadership within parties, and challenging the masculine culture and norms of party politics
• Examples: Women being relegated to "soft" policy areas like education or social welfare (pink collar ghetto), women being excluded from informal networks and decision-making processes within parties (smoke-filled rooms)

Lack of gender quotas

• Gender quotas are a proven strategy for increasing women's political representation by mandating a minimum percentage of women candidates or officeholders
• In the absence of gender quotas, women often face significant barriers to being nominated and elected to political office due to bias, discrimination, and lack of support from political parties
• Advocating for the adoption and implementation of gender quotas involves building political will, mobilizing women's organizations and allies, and demonstrating the benefits of increased women's representation
• Examples: Countries with voluntary party quotas (Sweden, South Africa) vs those without (United States, Japan), resistance to gender quotas as "unfair" or "reverse discrimination" (merit-based argument)

Discriminatory laws and policies

• Discriminatory laws and policies can create legal and institutional barriers to women's political participation and leadership
• Examples include laws that restrict women's freedom of movement, limit their access to resources and opportunities, or reinforce traditional gender roles and norms
• Reforming discriminatory laws and policies involves advocating for legal and policy changes, building coalitions with civil society organizations and allies, and leveraging international human rights frameworks and agreements
• Examples: Laws that require women to obtain permission from male guardians to run for office or travel (Saudi Arabia), policies that provide less funding or support to women candidates (campaign finance rules)

Campaign finance challenges

• Women often face greater challenges than men in raising funds for their political campaigns due to gender biases among donors, limited access to networks and resources, and the high costs of campaigning
• The lack of campaign finance can limit women's ability to compete on a level playing field with their male counterparts and can discourage women from running for office altogether
• Addressing campaign finance challenges involves implementing campaign finance reforms that level the playing field, providing public funding for campaigns, and mobilizing women donors and support networks
• Examples: Women candidates receiving less funding from political action committees (PACs) and corporate donors (old boys' network), women having to rely more on small individual donations and grassroots fundraising (retail politics)

Economic barriers

• Economic barriers are the financial and material constraints that limit women's ability to participate in politics and assume leadership roles
• These barriers are often rooted in women's unequal economic status and limited access to resources, which can make it difficult for women to fund their campaigns, take time off work for political activities, or balance their political and family responsibilities
• Addressing economic barriers requires policies and programs that promote women's economic empowerment, as well as strategies that provide financial and logistical support to women candidates and leaders

Gender wage gap

• The gender wage gap, where women earn less than men for the same work, can limit women's financial resources and their ability to fund their political campaigns or take time off work for political activities
• The wage gap is often compounded by other forms of economic discrimination, such as occupational segregation and the motherhood penalty, which can further disadvantage women in the political arena
• Closing the gender wage gap involves implementing pay equity laws, promoting women's access to high-paying jobs and industries, and challenging cultural attitudes that devalue women's work
• Examples: Women earning 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in the United States (pay gap), women being overrepresented in low-paying jobs and underrepresented in high-paying ones (occupational segregation)

Limited access to resources

• Women often have limited access to the financial, social, and political capital that is necessary to launch and sustain successful political campaigns
• This can include limited access to wealthy donors, business networks, and political machines that provide funding, endorsements, and logistical support to candidates
• Increasing women's access to resources involves providing targeted funding and support programs for women candidates, building women's political networks and organizations, and challenging the unequal distribution of wealth and power in society
• Examples: Women having less personal wealth to self-fund their campaigns (gender wealth gap), women being excluded from male-dominated business and political networks (old boys' club)

Disproportionate domestic responsibilities

• Women often bear a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities, such as childcare, elder care, and household management, which can limit their ability to participate in politics and assume leadership roles
• The unequal division of labor within households can make it difficult for women to balance their political and family responsibilities, particularly in the absence of supportive policies and family-friendly workplace practices
• Addressing disproportionate domestic responsibilities involves promoting a more equitable division of labor within households, advocating for policies that support work-life balance, and challenging cultural attitudes that assign primary caregiving responsibilities to women
• Examples: Women being expected to take on the bulk of childcare and household duties (second shift), women being penalized for taking time off work for family responsibilities (mommy track)

Unpaid care work

• Women's disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work, such as caring for children, the elderly, and the sick, can limit their ability to participate in politics and assume leadership roles
• Unpaid care work is often undervalued and unrecognized, and can create time poverty for women who must balance their caregiving responsibilities with their political and professional ambitions
• Addressing unpaid care work involves implementing policies that recognize and value caregiving labor, such as paid family leave and universal childcare, as well as promoting a more equitable division of care work between men and women
• Examples: Women spending more time on unpaid care work than men (global care gap), women being forced to choose between their caregiving responsibilities and their political careers (care penalty)

Media representation and bias

• Media representation and bias can significantly impact women's political participation and leadership by shaping public perceptions, reinforcing gender stereotypes, and influencing voter attitudes and behavior
• Women politicians often face unequal and biased media coverage that focuses on their appearance, personal lives, and gender roles rather than their qualifications, policy positions, and leadership abilities
• Addressing media representation and bias requires promoting more diverse and equitable media coverage of women politicians, challenging gender stereotypes and double standards in media reporting, and advocating for more women in media leadership and ownership positions

Underrepresentation in media coverage

• Women politicians are often underrepresented in media coverage compared to their male counterparts, particularly in high-profile races and leadership positions
• The lack of media coverage can make it difficult for women candidates to gain name recognition, build public support, and raise funds for their campaigns
• Increasing women's representation in media coverage involves advocating for more equitable and proportionate coverage of women candidates and leaders, as well as promoting more women journalists and editors in political news and analysis
• Examples: Women candidates receiving less media coverage than men in congressional races (gender gap), women leaders being underrepresented in news stories and opinion pieces (media marginalization)

Gender stereotyping in media

• Media coverage of women politicians often relies on gender stereotypes and tropes that reinforce traditional gender roles and expectations
• Women candidates may be portrayed as weak, emotional, or unqualified, while their male counterparts are depicted as strong, rational, and competent leaders
• Challenging gender stereotyping in media involves promoting more diverse and nuanced representations of women politicians, training journalists and editors on gender-sensitive reporting, and advocating for more women in media leadership and ownership positions
• Examples: Women candidates being described as "ambitious" or "unlikeable" (double bind), women leaders being criticized for their appearance or fashion choices (appearance bias)

Scrutiny of appearance and personal life

• Women politicians often face greater scrutiny and criticism of their appearance, personal lives, and family responsibilities than their male counterparts
• Media coverage may focus on women's physical attributes, marital status, or parenting choices rather than their policy positions or leadership abilities
• Addressing the scrutiny of appearance and personal life involves challenging the double standards and gendered expectations that women politicians face, promoting more substantive and policy-focused media coverage, and advocating for greater respect for women's privacy and personal autonomy
• Examples: Women candidates being judged on their hairstyles, clothing, or weight (appearance politics), women leaders being questioned about their ability to balance work and family (motherhood penalty)

Double standards vs male politicians

• Women politicians often face double standards in media coverage and public scrutiny compared to their male counterparts
• Women may be criticized for being too aggressive or ambitious, while men are praised for the same qualities, or women may be held to higher standards of competence and qualifications than men
• Challenging double standards involves exposing and denouncing the unequal treatment of women politicians, promoting more consistent and equitable standards for all candidates and leaders, and advocating for more diverse and representative media coverage and analysis
• Examples: Women candidates being criticized for being too "shrill" or "bossy" (gender stereotypes), women leaders being held to higher standards of ethics and accountability than men (glass ceiling)

Psychological barriers

• Psychological barriers are the internal beliefs, attitudes, and fears that can limit women's political participation and leadership
• These barriers are often rooted in societal gender norms and expectations that shape women's self-perceptions, confidence, and aspirations
• Addressing psychological barriers requires promoting women's empowerment and agency, challenging internalized gender biases and stereotypes, and providing mentoring, training, and support programs for women leaders

Imposter syndrome and self-doubt

• Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where individuals doubt their own abilities and accomplishments, and fear being exposed as a "fraud" despite their qualifications and successes
• Women politicians may experience imposter syndrome and self-doubt due to societal gender biases that question women's competence and leadership abilities, as well as the lack of women role models and mentors in politics
• Addressing imposter syndrome and self-doubt involves promoting women's self-confidence and self-efficacy, providing mentoring and peer support programs for women leaders, and challenging the societal and internalized biases that undermine women's achievements and potential
• Examples: Women candidates feeling unqualified or unprepared to run for office despite their experience and expertise (confidence gap), women leaders attributing their successes to luck or external factors rather than their own abilities (attribution bias)

Fear of failure or criticism

• Women politicians may experience fear of failure or criticism due to the high stakes and public scrutiny of political campaigns and leadership positions
• The fear of negative media coverage, public backlash, or personal attacks can discourage women from running for office or speaking out on controversial issues
• Addressing fear of failure or criticism involves promoting a more supportive and inclusive political culture, providing media training and support for women candidates and leaders, and challenging the gendered double standards and expectations that women face in the public eye
• Examples: Women candidates being hesitant to run for higher office due to fear of losing or being criticized (ambition gap), women leaders being afraid to take bold policy positions or challenge the status quo (risk aversion)

Lack of confidence and assertiveness

• Women may experience a lack of confidence and assertiveness in political contexts due to societal gender norms that discourage women from speaking up, taking risks, or claiming authority
• The lack of women role models and mentors in politics can also contribute to women's self-doubt and hesitancy to assert themselves as leaders
• Addressing lack of confidence and assertiveness involves promoting women's leadership development and training programs, providing mentoring and networking opportunities for women leaders, and challenging the societal and internalized biases that undermine women's agency and voice
• Examples: Women candidates being hesitant to ask for donations or endorsements (fundraising gap), women leaders being reluctant to claim credit for their accomplishments or assert their authority (credit gap)

Internalized gender norms

• Internalized gender norms are the unconscious beliefs and attitudes that individuals absorb from societal messages about appropriate gender roles and behaviors
• Women politicians may internalize gender norms that prioritize women's roles as caregivers and supporters rather than leaders and decision-makers, or that associate politics with masculine traits and domains
• Addressing internalized gender norms involves promoting more diverse and egalitarian gender roles and expectations, challenging the societal messages that limit women's aspirations and potential, and providing education and awareness programs on gender bias and stereotyping
• Examples: Women candidates feeling guilty or selfish for pursuing their political ambitions while balancing family responsibilities (motherhood mandate), women leaders feeling pressure to conform to masculine leadership styles or policy priorities (gender conformity)

Strategies for overcoming barriers

• Strategies for overcoming barriers to women's political leadership involve a range of individual, organizational, and societal interventions and approaches
• These strategies aim to dismantle the social, cultural, institutional, economic, and psychological barriers that limit women's political participation and leadership, and to create more inclusive, equitable, and representative political systems and cultures
• Effective strategies require the collaboration and commitment of multiple stakeholders, including women's organizations, political parties, governments, media, and civil society groups, as well as the empowerment and agency of individual women leaders and activists

Mentorship and networking

• Mentorship and networking are key strategies for supporting and advancing women's political leadership and participation
• Mentorship programs can provide women with guidance, advice, and support from experienced women leaders, as well as opportunities for skill-building, leadership development, and career advancement
• Networking opportunities, such as conferences, workshops, and online platforms, can connect women leaders with peers, allies, and resources, and help build a sense of community and solidarity among women in politics
• Examples: Women's campaign training programs that provide mentoring and networking opportunities for aspiring candidates (Emerge America, She Should Run), women's political caucuses and networks that support and advance women leaders (National Women's Political Caucus, Women's Congressional Staff Association)

Advocacy for gender-sensitive policies

• Advocacy for gender-sensitive policies is a critical strategy for creating more inclusive and equitable political systems and cultures
• Gender-sensitive policies aim to address the specific needs, interests, and experiences of women and girls, and to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in all areas of society
• Examples of gender-sensitive policies include gender quotas for political representation, paid family leave and childcare policies, equal pay legislation, and gender-responsive budgeting
• Advocacy efforts can involve lobbying and campaigning for policy changes, mobilizing public support and awareness, and building coalitions and alliances with women's organizations, civil society groups, and political allies
• Examples: Women's organizations advocating for the adoption of gender quotas in political parties and legislatures (Women's Environment and Development Organization), feminist groups campaigning for paid family leave and childcare policies (National Partnership for Women and Families)

Challenging gender stereotypes

• Challenging gender