Introduction
The State of Missouri lags relatively behind among established democracies regarding women’s representation in political spheres. There is a rising surge in the number of women running for office, although gender disparities significantly affect their success rates. Most female candidates opt for Democratic Party in Missouri, yet the most significant gender imbalance is felt on the Republican side (Setzler 698). As such, the party will need to increase its struggle for adequate representation, which in itself is a short-term strategy with timed progress. In most areas, men are still naturally considered to have a higher potential to win elections. Accordingly, it prompts the need to provide women with a platform to compete equally. Therefore, it is necessary to create sex awareness, actively fight discrimination of any kind, and use women to solve such societal problems. Presently, the current move is unlikely to solve gender inequality; therefore, there is a need for a relatively effective constitutional amendment mechanism.
Development
Creation of Gender Awareness
The amendment is essential because it will lead to gender awareness, thus reducing the magnitude of the inequality problem within Missouri. Raising wakefulness to sex disparities helps facilitate an exchange of ideologies. Consequently, it improves the competencies, skills, and understanding required for societal transition. It involves providing accessible and reliable information to comprehend the democratic values of Missouri, which promote justice and fairness. From a historical analysis, gender mainstream methods help integrate the consciousness perspective into policies, projects, programs, and services that respond to the needs and expectations of both men and women (Brechenmacher). Typically, some methodologies are taken to influence particular positions in target groups. However, the addition of the number of women seats according to the demographic sizes directly affects and influences almost every member of the community. It cuts across everyone from a diverse level of education, ethnic origin, and any other relevant characteristic that can stimulate the desperately needed change. Through the amendment, other means such as communication of initiatives to disseminate important messages to the public are exceedingly enhanced.
Moreover, the amendment triggering gender consciousness will help solve the problems of inequality by influencing voters’ perspectives on the capacity of women to lead. Ideally, sex disparities do not drive voters’ decisions at the ballot box. However, it does not limit the possibility of the restricted number of women participating. It is imperative to recognize that usually, females are less likely to receive suggestions to run for office either from spouses, family members, or colleagues (Dittmar 1665). The gap exists at all levels and is not merely limited to Missouri State, and it is present too in the federal government. Besides, the women who decide to engage in politics face biases from the key gatekeepers, activists, or party officials (Catalano Weeks 1855). Hence, it will act as a community-based initiative to mobilize Missouri locals to appreciate dialogues on existing inequalities that adversely affect its people.
Act as a Pacesetter Towards War on Discrimination
The amendment is likely to help other vulnerable groups in society, such as the disabled and minorities, gain recognition and promote counter-measures. Globally, millions of men and women fail to get jobs or training for several reasons: ethnicity, religion, gender identity, racial minorities or immigrant status, and sexual orientation. The biases that these segments experience make them defenseless to exploitation and abuse. Barriers to entry to some career options often limit an individual’s scope to participate, hence lower turnouts. (Brechenmacher). A similar trend is observed in politics and the representation among women and other weak groups in the community. Discrimination is prevalent because, despite its numerous manifestations, it is often subtle and insidious. It, therefore, undermines people’s dignity and perceived abilities at work and in leadership. As such, it deprives individuals experiencing it of their voices and capacities to participate (Rudensky and Gabriella). Essentially, it stifles opportunities and wastes human talents hindering economic progress and leading to social tensions due to exclusion and poverty.
Additionally, the starting points towards overcoming disparities are recognizing the bias itself within the society and ensuring representation of the vulnerable group in political spheres. The people in such powerful positions can help induce the necessary change and fight for an audience for reversing discrimination. The immediate outcome is the availability of fair employment and occupation opportunities. Accordingly, people can choose employment freely without bias and develop their professionalism to the best of their understanding, unrestricted by societal limiting constructs, and favors given segments (Rudensky and Gabriella). An inclusive environment fosters a large and diverse workforce who has access to training and high wages. As such, the amendment is likely to promote social stability with further public support for advancement in economic development.
Women Are Leading Agents of Change
Ideally, women play a significant role in fulfilling several objectives within societal reforms, accelerated by increasing their representation. Historically, their active role in such essential decision-making platforms has advanced significantly, especially during the last decade (The Missouri Blog). The outcome is the enactment of numerous regional and international resolutions, which have facilitated the current success (Dittmar 1665). The amendment will increase the prioritization of women’s issues and prompt for solution solution-seeking. Some of the resulting assumptions include passing legislation and policies that promote females’ rights in Missouri (The Missouri Blog). Besides, the representative council will allocate enough funds to facilitate the implementation of programs that address the disparities.
The empowerment of women demands a shift in the existing stereotypes, which can be best achieved through the women themselves. The ideology holds from the experience of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton, who ran for top positions. The two significantly highlighted the electoral arena’s existing biases, thus sensitizing the general public on the current scope of the problem. Most female candidates feel less confident and competitive than their male counterparts, who have continuously dominated the field (Brechenmacher). The setting of quotas has worked in other parts of the world, primarily in Europe, such as the prominent French feminists in the 1990s; therefore, the strategy can equally materialize in Missouri (Brechenmacher). It will strengthen the other strategies such as mentorship and training to improve representation.
Conclusion
The total number of women who run for office is lower than those of men compared demographically. The gap, however, has not emerged in a political vacuum; males fill the spaces. When analyzing the structure of the electoral arena, there are specific challenges that promote females’ reluctance to participate. The most salient reason is the outright discrimination due to their gender identity. Increasing seats for women will enhance gender awareness, solve other discriminatory acts, and provide an opportunity for them to explore their potential. These measures are necessary to liberate vulnerable groups from decades of bias and unjust treatment in society. The amendment of the Missouri constitution to include more women in politics is essential because it has far-reaching benefits for society, not just women alone.
Works Cited
Brechenmacher, Saskia. “Tackling Women’s Underrepresentation in U.S. Politics: Comparative Perspectives From Europe.”Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2018.
Catalano Weeks, Ana. “Quotas and Party Priorities: Direct and Indirect Effects of Quota Laws.” Political Research Quarterly, vol. 72, No. 4, 2019, pp. 849-862.
Dittmar, Kelly. “Advancing Women’s Political Power in the Next Century.” Boston University Law Review Online, vol. 100, 2020, p.1665.
Rudensky, Yurij, and Gabriella Limón. “Gerrymandering Away Missouri’s Future.”Brennan Center for Justice, 2020.
Setzler, Mark. “Measuring bias against female political leadership.” Politics & Gender, vol. 15, No. 4, 2019, pp. 695-721.
The Missouri Blog. “Women’s Foundation’s Analysis Shows Underrepresentation of Women in Legislature.”The Missouri Times, 2021.