Mothers Seeking Office Face More Voter Doubts Than Fathers
By SUSAN CHIRAMARCH 14, 2017
Portraits of candidates with their children are a campaign staple, but they may hold particular pitfalls for women: A new study has found that it’s harder to reassure voters that women who run for office can balance work and family.
In the latest examination of the double standards that continue to afflict women in politics, voters were most concerned about how married and single mothers of young children would juggle responsibilities to their office and their family, but far less worried about fathers whose wives also worked.
Drawing on 11 focus groups in five cities and an online survey of 1,000 likely voters, all conducted before the election, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation tested voter reactions to an array of candidates: married mothers of young children, single mothers, unmarried women without children, lesbian couples with children, divorced women and married fathers with young children.
The researchers described profiles of fictional candidates and then tested the effectiveness of responses those candidates could make to possible political attacks or voter doubts. Even voters who worried that fathers might shortchange either their young children or their office were reassured if the candidates issued statements addressing that concern. But they continued to hold the strongest doubts about married mothers of young children after they issued similar statements.
“We confirmed that traditional gender roles are still powerful, influencing what we perceive to be acceptable and appropriate behavior for men and women,” said Adrienne Kimmell, executive director of the foundation. “For example, despite sweeping societal changes, many people still assume motherhood is a central role for women. That, in turn, affects how they view women candidates.”
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/us/women-politics-voters.html?emc=edit_th_20170315&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=57435284