Performing Gender in Politics

“In what sense… is gender an act?”, Judith Butler asks in her book, “Gender Trouble”. It is unusual think of “gender” as something that acts or performs. Yet it performs persistently and aggressively. It performs according to our social norms and daily habits and our identity is subconsciously embedded in that performance.  Gender performativity is a theory that defines how gender is constructed through patterns of repetitive actions. While it is modified differently, Butler further explains “in other ritual social drama, the action of gender requires a performance that is repeated. This repetition is at once a reenactment and reexperiencing of a set of meaning already socially established” (Butler 140).

Several studies have investigated the performativity of gender in different social settings. What is particularly noteworthy is the construction of gender in the political arena. The fact that political institutions as well as decision-making powers are typically described as masculine adversarial forums, it therefore creates limitations for women to act in their full capacity.
The lack of female representation in political institutions is a problem that persists due to the way women are evaluated by the public, the media and their male counterparts. For example, women who debate on the Congress  platform or the British parliament are judged not only by their political ideas, but  by a standard of masculinity; a standard male politicians are not judged under since it is already assumed for them. Female politicians, on the other hand,  have to downplay any emotions and act aggressively to be regarded as strong effective leaders.

So why female politicians act in accordance with “malelike” characteristics, rather than “femalelike” characteristics?  One theory is that women have not previously held positions in office as they do today. Therefore, by establishing themselves as valid and serious politicians, they have to abandon their femininity in exchange for masculinity. This choice would seems the only other option available due to the pressure of gender bias within the political domain.

Gender performativity propagates gender stereotypes constantly. Sylvia Show’s “Gender and Politics in the Devolved Assemblies” indicates that the House of Commons and the Assemblies of the United Kingdom are male dominated spaces where females can be easily manipulated.  In her article, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly states, “People here think it is their divine right to shout at a woman; some felt that women were particularly targeted because they think they will just give her a hard time and she will fall in and collapse”. (Shaw 88). http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/article_comments/gender_and_politics_in_the_devolved_assemblies  In other words, male politicians use aggressive tactics to manipulate women under  the false conceptions of “female fragility”

In an article titled, “What Margaret Thatcher can teach Hillary Clinton” published in the National Journal, April, 2013. Michael Hirsh draws a comparison between Clinton and Thatcher, highlighting the similarities between the two ladies. He labels Mrs. Clinton as the Iron lady of America in comparison with Mrs. Thatcher. http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/what-margaret-thatcher-can-teach-hillary-clinton-20130408.  Although he reveres on Mrs. Clinton as a successful tough decision maker and praised her strong stance regarding foreign policies, he concludes, in an implicit tone of reproach, that she will still have to explain herself for standing by her husband during the Whitewater controversy and his infidelity. In other words, if she wants to be a leader, she will have to confront those questions. Hirsh’s tone indicates a clear gender bias. Although he reveres Clinton's accomplishments, he references issues that stigmatize her personal and political integrity.
The following video  reveals how the media often regards female politicians and promotes skepticism towards their  competency. Lisa Kudrow plays a role of a congress woman who just entered the presidential election and her campaign proceedings were portrayed by the media as a "real life Cinderella story". (my favorite part was how  the image of a congress women who served seven years  in the US Army was represented by the image of  an iced tea pitcher on the table-and the sexist remarks that might imply).
 Lisa Kudrow, in her epic speech, states "It is not about experience, it is about gender!".

 

As Butler points out, gender is not something that we have, it is something that is produced and manufactured by our daily individual behavior. Gender is constructed according to the cultural and political ideologies maintained. While eliminating gender bias is a hefty task, gender performance will bring us perspective in the way society should escape the confines of the masculinity and femininity binary.  In the twenty first century, gender bias still acts as fierce as it has always been; it is even more subtle that it makes it difficult for us  to detect or even acknowledge its existence.

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