Will We Elect Our First Female President?
The history of women in politics, gender and politics, and topical resources about the 2016 presidential election.
Lesson Plans:
- Lesson Module: Women And The Presidency
(6-12) provides resources and ideas for integrating gender into lessons on the presidency and creating lessons focused on women and the presidency. - Debating Our Destiny: Do Presidential Debates Matter?
Students (6-12) explore how televised debates have shaped presidential campaigns for 50 years. Though the 2016 debates are over, the ideas in this lesson can be applied to other discussions on the elections process. - Teachers On Teaching Hillary, Trump, And Election 2016
Suggested classroom activities from teachers for grades 9-12.
Background Resources:
- Hillary Wouldn’t Be The First Female American President
Distinguishes between the U.S. and America North and South) by highlighting Janet Rosenberg who became the president of Guyana, after the death of her husband, Cheddi Jagan. - America's First Female President? Been There, Done That
Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson’s second wife, ran the Oval Office for 17 months after he suffered a massive stroke. - Has America Already Had A Female President?
Examines the role and influence Eleanor Roosevelt had in the FDR White House. - First Female Candidate For US President Ran In 1872
In the 1872, Victoria Woodhull ran for election as the Equal Rights Party nominee. Woodhull ran again in 1892. - Women Who Ran For President
Short biographies of women who ran. - Women Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates: A Selected List
A fact sheet listing all candidates known to the Center for American Women and Politics who achieved major historic firsts; were named in national polls; achieved prominence by holding significant elected or appointed office; appeared on the general election ballot in a majority of states; and became eligible for federal matching funds.
Gender and Politics
- Donald Trump Has Stolen Feminism’s Big Moment
“In an election that could have been an inspiring opportunity to celebrate Hillary Clinton’s candidacy and advance the national conversation around feminist causes, women have been forced to spend much of their energy contending with Donald Trump.” - There’s Much Less Gender Bias In Politics Than You Think. Here’s Why.
Argues that the declining novelty of female candidates and ideological polarization are the real problem not gender bias. - No Gender Bias in Politics? Not So Fast
Disagrees with the Washington Post article and identifies implicit gender bias, or the “gulf between our conscious ideals of equality and our unconscious tendency to discriminate in the ballot box with regards to gender.” - Media Coverage Of Women Candidates
Gender bias in media coverage “continues to plague women’s candidacies. Winning office does not end the effort to obtain fair media coverage; women officeholders, and not just candidates, strive for equitable press reporting.” - Biased Blogging: Linguistic Evidence Of Gender Bias In Political Blogs (
PDF, 1.7 MB, 29 pgs)
This study, published in the Fall of 2015, found “significant differences in the linguistic patterns used to describe females. Particularly, there is a tendency on the part of bloggers to reference a female candidate’s gender far more frequently than that of male candidates.”
