What Does it Take to Be a Woman in American Politics?

Every female candidate should receive credibility and visibility that is not negatively associated with her gender. Campaign communications directors serving women running for office should note the gender bias that exists for media coverage of political candidates, with male candidates receiving better press coverage than female candidates. Political operatives may want to avert demeaning gender portrayals of their candidates in mainstream media, which is why this month we feature the 2014 documentary, “Women in Politics” from MAKERS.

This film sheds light on the several challenges women have faced while navigating American politics. Watch the documentary below to gain insight on how women leaders overcame negative stereotypes within male dominated political settings. Here is a spoiler: The documentary features many women trailblazers, including Maryland’s very own U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, as well as commentary from Congresswoman Donna Edwards, running for U.S. Senate.

https://youtu.be/yCA8BVSFvxo

MAKERS: Women in Politics

Produced and Directed by Grace Lee, Produced by Rory Kennedy

How have you combated gender stereotypes for your candidate on the campaign trail? Share your best practices on “Politics Within Politics”! Email Tonia at: abuoyedpath@gmail.com. Get the latest news on Twitter: @abuoyedpath #politicswithin

About Tonia Bui

Tonia Bui is currently a strategic communications consultant. Most recently, she served as treasurer for the Hoan Dang for County Council campaign in Montgomery County. Tonia previously served as the Communications Director for the Nguyen for Delegate Campaign (VA-67) in 2013 and led the Asian American voter outreach efforts for the Darcy Burner for Congress Campaign (WA-08) in 2008. Her efforts to build stakeholder engagement stems from her experiences serving as the Member Outreach Assistant to Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA-34). She also previously worked for U.S. Senator Barack Obama (IL-13) and California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (CA-12). Her work has been published by the Harvard Asian American Policy Review and cited by scholars of the political science textbook, Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. Tonia holds a Master in Public Policy from American University and a B.A. in Mass Communications and Gender & Women’s Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Read more of Tonia's blog Politics Within Politics.

View all posts by Tonia Bui