The Female Factor: Red Said, Blue Said

Does the Democratic or Republican Party do a better job of addressing issues important to women? Why?

The Red Perspective: Kathryn Biber Chen

The notion of traditional “women’s issues” in America belongs on the ash heap of history, right on top of the well-worn axiom “girls can’t be good at math.” We sell ourselves pretty short if we truly believe that our political beliefs are knee-jerk reactions to our gender. More generally, slicing and dicing the American populace into narrow interest groups (whether divided by gender, race, or religion) strikes me as a terribly offensive thing to do. I’ve always wondered why some liberals—who profess to care deeply about the rights of individuals—are so eager to lump people into factions. 

Indeed, the issues I care about are fairly universal: free speech, safe neighborhoods, small government, low taxes, health care, clean air and water, and intelligent national security policies, to name a few. Most Americans care about these issues, not just women. And Erin and I are a good example of variance within the female ranks.

I recognize that women in America often face different circumstances in life than men do. Not all glass ceilings are fully shattered, and “having it all” just isn’t possible. Women across the country (whether Democrat or Republican) may encounter similar societal prejudices and public expectations. I do not, therefore, mean to argue that women do not have a certain kinship with one another due to their shared experiences, and that on occasion their worldviews will be shaded by such experiences.   

I simply mean to say this: all women do not think alike. While I am thrilled to see that women are finally reaching the upper echelons of political power in America, I would not vote for a candidate simply because she is female. My chromosomal makeup has little to do with my beliefs about important political issues, and I do not believe that women make better or worse leaders or lawmakers. In short, I do not appreciate the insulting assumption that my gender is predictive of my political beliefs. And neither should you.

So, which party best addresses so-called issues important to women? The Republican Party, of course—because it actually treats them as individuals.