Women in Media & Politics

Women and their status in society are issues more seriously discussed today then ever before. Women have had a long struggle to find dominant and powerful positions in the different fields in general and politics and media in particular. Since, women in politics and media come in the limelight therefore they make greater impact in the society. Over the years, women have proved their mettle and worth in both politics and media and have brought positive changes in the cultures of society not just in America but all over the world. “Gender is one of the primary fault-lines running through contemporary American politics. For the last thirty years feminists have challenged conventional assumptions about the role of women in society. The revived New Right and the women's movement have been struggling to define the terms of the public debate in ‘culture wars.’ The political agenda has become deeply polarized by issues such as affirmative action, abortion rights, and welfare reform” (Norris 1).

When we see world history then we come to know that women have served key positions in the high political offices. In western countries like Britain, USA the attitudes have definitely changed regarding women’s leadership positions. In Britain, for example, a woman has held the highest office of Prime Minister as well. These Western countries not only themselves are undergoing change but they are also heavily influencing the lifestyle and work related attitude of women in developing nations. Women became heads of states and political parties in third world countries like India, Pakistan, and Srilanka, Nepal etc.  “Nevertheless, women have made great improvements in representation and participation in global politics. Thirty years ago, women in the U.S., for instance, composed less than five percent of all state legislatures; in Senegal, there were no women in the National Assembly; rapists could not be prosecuted in many Latin American countries; women in France could not get a divorce; females in Cambodia could not vote; and pigs were considered by many male peasants to be worth more than wives in Paraguay. Even though there still are obstacles to women's participation and representation, females have become more involved in politics” (Patterson 14)

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The changes brought about in the area of politics in particular were gradual and slow. Women had to counter a lot of bias and prejudice when they looked for high offices. Even media and fiction depicted women as subordinates rather than leaders” All these stereotypes and concepts inculcated an inferior and suppressive outlook to women and so their motivation to achieve higher goal were greatly affected. These trends still exist but things have changed and are changing. “When the news media imply that women are anomalies in high public office, the public is likely to regard them as bench warmers ...

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