User:Dbark99/Women's work

Politics
Women are making significant strides in terms of their presence in the political field. The  number of women being elected into government positions is increasing, and they are proving to be a significant voting demographic. There are still significant changes to be made in regard to women being seen as equals in the political sector however, as there are deeply routed gender stereotypes embedded in our institutions which view politics as a “masculine” field of work. The 2008 presidential campaign was seen to be a pivotal moment for women’s participation in politics. Hillary Clinton was the first woman to run for president who was seen as a true contender, and Sarah Palin was the first Republican woman vice-president nominee. Both women however faced many criticisms on their political ability due to gender stereotypes. Clinton for example, was often deemed as being too cold and “unlikeable” to be president. In contrast, Palin was often accused of  not being intelligent enough, or being too pretty to participate in politics. It was also often questioned whether she would be too busy with motherhood to fully dedicate herself to being vice-president. Gender biases and stereotypes as such, are the reality for women participating in politics, or what has been considered as “mens work.” These gendered ideals of labour can be looked to as a significant contributing factor to the underrepresentation of women in politics

Women in Stem
Only 28% of the STEM workforce is made up by women. In early education, there are approximately an equal number of boys and girls who take math and science courses. However, the number of women who choose to further their studies  in science or math in post secondary school, drops significantly. In fact, men outnumber women in every sector of STEM by a vastly disproportionate level. A contributing factor to this is the implicit bias that science and math fields are typically seen as “male,” while arts and humanities are more often seen as “female.” This bias not only impacts the ways people view women in these fields, but it also creates an inner bias where women are less likely to pursue a career in science or math.

There is often also a negative association with women who partake in “men’s work.” Unless a woman is quite obviously successful in their job, they are often seen as less competent than men in these “male” positions. In contrast, if a woman is competent and successful in a job that is considered to be more “masculine,” then she is much less likely to be viewed as likeable. Both likeability and competence are needed to be truly successful in these fields, which creates another barrier in having a proportionate number of women to men in the STEM fields.