10 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
hilltopper's avatar

I've wondered why Americans have such difficulty picturing a woman as president. It is not unusual worldwide. Countries that have had a woman leader include the UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, India, Pakistan, Finland, Norway, Greece, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Latvia, Finland, Philippines, et.al. Why is it even an issue here?

Expand full comment
Stargate77's avatar

If I had to guess, I’d say part of it is because of the size of our military compared to other countries around the world. Many voters in this country have reservations about a woman being the Commander in Chief of the world’s largest military. This issue is not as relevant in other countries with smaller militaries.

Expand full comment
michaelflutist's avatar

I disagree. It's pure sexism. You think the military is less important in countries like Israel, Pakistan and South Korea?

Expand full comment
NewDem07's avatar

Maybe not specifically military, but I think you are onto something here. All the countries listed here were/are not the #1 world power/top economy when the women became leaders. (Thatcher was long after the UK's peak in the 1910s.)

Perhaps it is about people not trusting a women to run the "most important office in the world". After all, the CEOs of the world's largest corporations are also almost exclusively male, although they at least have an excuse that their "electorates" (employees) are male-dominated.

Expand full comment
michaelflutist's avatar

I really don't see the sense in voters in other countries being less reluctant to vote for women as leaders because they think their own countries are less important than the U.S. Think about how that sounds when I reflect it back to you this way.

Expand full comment
michaelflutist's avatar

Also Bangladesh, Estonia, Chile, Taiwan, South Korea, Turkey, Sierra Leone, Barbados, Peru...

Expand full comment
Caspian's avatar

Is it not an issue in those countries, or did other factors allow those leaders to defeat the sexists there?

Expand full comment
NewDem07's avatar

Nearly all of those countries listed (with the exception of Scandinavia) have only had 1 woman leader, so it might just be a case of us being a statistical outlier that is bound to correct itself eventually.

Expand full comment
Avedee Eikew's avatar

Hopefully, we correct it this week.

Expand full comment
Em Jay's avatar

Most of those countries have parliamentary systems where people aren't voting DIRECTLY for the leader even if they know who it is going to be.

Expand full comment