Stereotypes On Women

A large body of literature done in the field concentrates on the effect of gender stereotypes on women in the run for office. Gender stereotypes play a crucial part in raising the glass ceiling; it emphasizes and reinforces beliefs that women lack leadership abilities and skills.

As information shortcuts, stereotypical perceptions partly shape public opinion on female politicians’ characteristics and their policy competences (Holman, Merolla, and Zechmeister, 2011; Schneider and Bos, 2013; Bauer, 2015).Apparently, there are characteristics that belong to men and women respectively and that correspond with gender roles consisting of communal and agentic roles. Women are tied closely with communal roles, such as in comparison with men, women

In case female candidates are apprehensive about how gender-based expectation will affect and hinder their ways to be elected, they can appear contrarily to those stereotypes in order to showcase their proficiency and competence as leaders in typically masculine policy realms (Iyengar and Simon, 2000; Herrnson et al., 2003). Studies show that female candidates sometimes formulate and implement more masculine strategies to offset those possible and downturned influences of widespread stereotypical perceptions about their abilities and priorities (Fox and Smith, 1998; Bauer, 2016). Female politicians may dedicate more time, channel more energy, propose, initiate or enact legislation, and give prominence to increase and advance their proficiency in areas conventionally considered women to be less capable and competent (Bauer, 2016). However, they must achieve and sustain a balance between masculinity and femininity, which is defined as the double bind faced by women leaders (Catalyst,

As it can be seen, femininity and masculinity are completely different from each other; in other words, masculinity is simply unfeminine. Men should and must not be more sensitive, less competitive, and less aggressive since it runs counter to masculine nature (Dobson, 2001). For a heterosexual man, displaying any feminine behaviour or characteristics is considered as gay (Bosson et al, 2005). Traditional and modern masculine stereotypes don’t grant men the right to express any weakness; additionally, there’s a narrow and restricted bound within which men can express their emotions (Moss-Racusin et al. 2010; Valenti 2009). It comes no surprise that radical feminism is to be blame for shattering masculine nature as Dobson argued in Bringing up boys (2001). Therefore, it can be understood that misogyny generates and acts as a shield to secure inherent masculinity by ceasing feminists; and women’s activities and empowerment. Whereas, most feminists don’t yearn for achieving equality by causing harm to or neglecting of men’s interests (Anderson, 2015). Therefore, prescriptive gender stereotypes affect not only women’s but also men’s ways to access any institutions. Male politicians can be aimed at if they don’t enact their masculine characteristics right. In