This Week in CQ Researcher

Women in Politics by Kenneth Jost, March 21, 2008.

Does gender bias hurt female candidates?

The number of women holding political office in the United States has grown substantially over the past two decades. But even with a record number of 86 women in Congress today, men still outnumber women by more than 5-to-1.

Within Congress, female lawmakers have helped bring greater attention to some issues affecting women, families and children, but partisan divisions have thwarted some of their initiatives.

• Do women candidates face political disadvantages because of their sex?
  
• Has the increased number of women in political office affected public policy?
  
• Should women cast a “gender ballot” to try to correct the underrepresentation of women in public office?

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