The number of women elected officials is currently at an all-time high in the United States. But despite that, gender biases still continue to prevail within the national political scene.
According to a recent study from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, women candidates are held to a higher standard amongst voters compared to their male counterparts. Specifically, women must prove both their qualifications and "likeability" in order to attain trust from voters whereas men are already assumed to be qualified. Even then, "voters often see a woman as qualified or likeable, but not both," the research findings outline. The same standards are also applicable when women run against each other — in the end, it's all just a game of who is the most likeable.
