A poll conducted by The Daily Beast, regarding sexism in Politics following the 2008 election, showed that the glass ceiling for women in politics has officially been cracked.
However, a sentiment of inequality continues. Some key points from the poll:
- 61 percent of women believe there is a gender bias in the media.
- 20 percent of women are willing to use the word "feminist" in refererence to themselves.
- 40 percent of men freely admit sexist attitudes toward a female president.
- 39 percent of men say a male is "naturally more suited" to carry out the duties of president.
- Women aged over 50, the first generation to have a majority in the workforce, see far more discrimination in every area of life than younger women.
"This poll shows the rising anger in American women who feel increasingly ignored politically, culturally and especially by the media," said Tina Brown, Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The Daily Beast.
Despite the results of this poll, 2008 was not a failure for female politicians. Hillary Clinton became the first female candidate to win a presidential primary election and was recently named Secretary of State by President-elect Barack Obama. Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, ran as perhaps the most viable female Vice Presidential candidate in American history.
Politics aside, Clinton was assailed in the media for assuming a seemingly traditional masculine role. Palin, on the other hand, met resistance to her beauty queen image, young children and unwed 18 year-old pregnant daughter.Vacant Seats
2009, in both the House and Senate, will mark the largest number of female members in history.
11 women were elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. With retirements and defeats, the total number of women in the House has increased from 71 to 75. In the Senate, there are currently 16 women, unless Hillary Clinton’s vacant Senate seat is filled by another female, which would make 17 members.
Barack Obama’s vacant seat, currently sitting in the eye of the Rod Blagojevich controversy storm, still needs to be filled. Also, in Colorado, Former State Senator Polly Baca is one possibility to fill a vacated seat which would make her the nation's first Hispanic woman in the Senate as well as Colorado's first woman.
Elected officials are also making history in New Hampshire where, for the first time in history, women sit as the majority of a legislative body. Women now hold 13 of the 24-member house seats and chair 16 of the 20 standing committees.
Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, will become the ranking members of the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. They will be the first pair of women to lead a full committee in the House or the Senate.
Hillary Clinton summed up the history and future of women in politics during her 2008 Primary concession speech.
“Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.”
