“More women’s voices needed” says Sylvia Bashevkin

October 24, 2016

In an recent article in the Calgary Herald, female experts were asked to weigh in on the U.S. election and gender issues in public life. Sylvia Bashevkin, political scientist at the University of Toronto and author of several books on women and politics has been watching the U.S. presidential election through an expert lens. “It’s a very important election, with a path breaking woman, and an equally path breaking opponent,” says Bashevkin. “It’s an extremely unusual pairing.” While Clinton’s profile as the most scrutinized woman on the planet has highlighted the seriousness of women vying for high office, Bashevkin says the public’s “comfort level” for a woman candidate for high office hasn’t kept pace.

“There is often a sense that they can’t deviate at all from the expectations of extremely polished manners and politeness,” she says of research into women in politics. “If a woman moves in the slightest direction, all of a sudden she is seen as the aggressor in the debate. We need more women’s voices,” she says. “Those informed opinions aren’t being heard enough in public life.” The full Calgary Herald article is available here.