Start Taking Me Seriously As A Female In Politics | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Start Taking Me Seriously As A Female In Politics

I will not wear a pencil skirt and heels to my political science lecture to be taken seriously when the boy next to me is wearing jeans and a T-shirt and can still get your full attention just fine.

16
Start Taking Me Seriously As A Female In Politics
Samantha McCarty

In the 112th Congress, out of 435 members in the House of Representatives, 76 were women.

Out of the 100 members in the Senate, 17 were women.

Just as the 113th Congress ended on January 2nd, there were 81 women in the House, and 20 women in the Senate.

If these number don't get you fried up, then you aren't seeing the larger problem here.

We are in 2016, and as much as you would like to say that you're "okay" about how far women have made it, it's just not enough. Just because we can vote doesn't mean we're not criticized for our choices when we do. Just because we can go out and have jobs doesn't mean we are treated with respect and as human beings when we go to work. Did you know that only five percent of America's CEO's are women?

Now, whether it be because women just choose different career paths or just simply don't care for politics is fine, and I understand that; however, it is hard for a female student to want to be interested in something that everyone gives her a hard time about. A young girl who says she wants to grow up to be the President of the United States will have her hopes crushed very soon when someone says, "But, like, wouldn't you rather be a nurse? Or maybe, like, stay at home with your kids?"

When I walked into my political science discussion on the first day, out of about 20 people, 5 were women. When a man raised his hand to make a statement, all eyes around the room were focusing on him, and you could see the concentration as people took in what he had to say. When one of the women raised her hand to say something, everyone went back to what they were doing, whether that be playing on their phones, talking to their friends, or just not paying attention in general.

When our TA asked a question and called a male to answer it, he praised him for his contribution to the topic. When a female raised her hand to answer the question, her answer was granted an, "OK," and a change of topic, as if her answer had never been received.

When we were told in my political science lecture that we were going to be discussing women in politics, the male in the row behind me groaned.

It is not okay for a vote to be held about what a women can and cannot do with her own body when so few of the members participating in the vote are actually women. This means women also have to do their part, too, by wanting change, breathing change, dreaming of change, and making change happen.

Of course we need women with the right views for our country, and I'm not saying it's all a perfect picture, but we can get there. We're even getting somewhere now that we have women and even some men who are brave enough to speak out about these issues. We should've started earlier, but it's better late than never.

A woman's place isn't just in the House. It's also in the Senate.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

158
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
students
rowanuniversitypublications / Flickr

1. "If I'm wearing black tomorrow, it's because I'm mourning my grade."

2. "Do you want to try ordering Chinese takeout to take back to the stacks?"

3. "This final paper has me questioning if this professor just sucks or is Satan himself."

4. "Is that person over there OK? They've been sleeping for a while."

5. "Why are you online shopping?"

"I want to motivate myself to study."

"Since when do you have money to buy something anyway?"

6. "I wonder how much I could make as a stripper."

7. "There are no stress relief dogs, and I feel conned. My stress today is worse than yesterday."

8. "Rate My Professor screwed me over."

9. "I wore these clothes yesterday, and maybe even the day before, but it's fine."

10. "I wonder if I could sneak a beer in here."

11. "I just really want chocolate chip cookies."

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments