“We have to work harder, and that’s a fact.”
— Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democratic presidential candidate
“Women are held to a higher standard,” Senator Amy Klobuchar said during the Democratic debate in Atlanta this week. “We have to work harder, and that’s a fact.”
Indeed, study after study after study shows that women put in more hours and are more effective at their jobs for less money — all while looking the part, being maternal and oh so fun.
“I think what matters most,” Ms. Klobuchar continued, “is if you’re smart, if you’re competent, and if you get things done.”
If only that were so.
There are a record number of female candidates running for president this year with decades of political experience between them, as well as experience in other fields. Their past job experience includes serving in the Army and scrutinizing the financial industry.
Ms. Klobuchar’s own comments came on the heels of her criticism of Pete Buttigieg’s (much) shorter CV. In an earlier interview with The New York Times, she noted that if the female candidates had as little experience as Mr. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., they wouldn’t even be running for president. “I don’t think people would take us seriously,” she added.
But there’s another reason women might lag behind less qualified men. It comes down to that hard-to-define likability factor, according to Erin Loos Cutraro, chief executive and founder of She Should Run, a nonpartisan nonprofit aimed at encouraging women to run for political office.
“We expect women to be both highly qualified and likable,” she said, while “men are seen as strong and electable simply because they’re men.”
Though the “likability trap” isn’t a new concept — political pundits have known for years that it factors into voters’ decisions — it is a persistent factor even in an election year when female voters are fired up and sexism is being called out across industries.
Surveys from The New York Times and Siena College of more than 1,500 Democratic voters in six key states asked the voters whether they agreed with the statement that most of the women who are running for president just aren’t that likable. “And 40 percent of them said they agreed with that statement,” Nate Cohn, a Times journalist, said on a recent episode of “The Daily.”
Another study by the Lean In organization reached the same conclusion and went further to suggest that Americans are wary of voting for a woman because they think other voters aren’t ready for a female candidate. This poll suggests that voters seem to like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, some even preferring them over their male counterparts, but worry about their chances against President Trump.
Even when voters acknowledge that they have higher standards for female candidates, they still hold women to those standards, according to new research by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation. On the flip side, the same institute found that voters will support a male candidate they don’t like but who they think is qualified.
All this, despite the fact that when women do run for congressional and state-level office in the U.S., they consistently have similar or higher win rates than men. And then when they’re elected, they get more done and change how the government works.
“This is not just about supporting women to lead in office because it helps women,” said Loos Cutraro. “We all stand to benefit from tapping into the talent pool this country has to offer.”
Do you find yourself judging candidates’ likability? Do you yourself feel judged on your likability? How does it play out in your life? Write to me here or reach me on Twitter.
What else is happening
Here are five articles from The Times you might have missed.
-
“Stereotypes still continue about what authority looks like, what power looks like, what credibility looks like.” Sound matters too and the generally higher pitched voices of women aren’t often associated with authority. [Read the story]
-
“Republicans understand that their struggles with female voters, including and especially college-educated female voters, require attention and effort.” The party now supports some form of paid leave in an attempt to win back family-filled suburbs. [Read the story]
-
“It has become clear to me over the past few days that my association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.” Prince Andrew, also known as the Duke of York, announced he would step back from public life amid outrage over his ties to the disgraced financier. [Read the story]
-
“In the last five years some of the darker sides of digital technologies have become visible.” Margrethe Vestager oversees Europe’s competition rules and is known as the world’s top tech industry watchdog. Now she plans to take a tougher approach. [Read the story]
-
“My loneliness keeps me going, the discrimination, the fact that I do not have anyone to care for me.” Vidhya Rajput, a transgender woman, has emerged as a leading activist for L.G.B.T. rights in India. [Read the story]
ICYMI: Latina Equal Pay Day
Thursday was Latina Equal Pay Day, representing the number of days into 2019 that Latina women in the U.S. have to work to earn what white, non-Hispanic men earned last year.
According to National Women’s Law Center, Latina women working full-time, year-round make 54 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes. Those losses add up over time to more than $1 million over the course of a 40-year career.
But less than one-third of Americans are even aware that this pay gap even exists, according to Lean In.
"thing" - Google News
November 23, 2019 at 02:33AM
https://ift.tt/2KM8skK
The Likability Trap Is Still a Thing - The New York Times
"thing" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2JDx9PK
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment