*The opinions in this article do not reflect Her Campus Media or Rochester Institute of Technology*
Let’s be real- 2020 has been a year of turmoil. We began the year hopeful and excited for the start of a new decade. By the end of January, the world was abuzz with rumors of a potential pandemic, Kobe Bryant had died in a tragic helicopter crash leaving Laker Nation grieving, political tensions were rising between the United States and the Middle East, Trump faced possible impeachment, and COVID-19 had hit Washington State. We soon underwent a travel ban, screening, and sheer panic. Not long after, shortages of toilet paper, water, food, and supplies began. It seemed there was no end in sight. Eventually, masks and social distancing became a new normal.
Not only is 2020 an unprecedented year, but also an election year. As we take on this worldwide pandemic, we also take on political unrest. We are surrounded by ongoing movements such as Black Lives Matter, and an increased fight for women’s rights due to politicians’ proposing to defund organizations such as Planned Parenthood & other resources. So pegs the question that is a combination of politics & feminism: do our current President & Democratic candidate for President respect women?
I asked my followers on Instagram to swipe up on a story asking this question. Here are my results: I remained neutral for the sake of writing a well-written article that was as unbiased as possible.
“Neither do. Both have been accused of sexual assault. If you stood in a room with [these men] they would make you uncomfortable. Neither are good, it’s just a matter of who is a little better than the other. Trump respects women less than Biden.”
“I think both candidates respect women. While both do have rape and sexual harassment accusations in their portfolio, I believe their policy has shown respect for women. Trump [enforces] the W-GDP- a policy that empowers women in the role of the economy, [leading] to ‘prosperity & peace.’ Biden [has drafted] an extremely inclusive agenda for women’s issues [such as] domestic violence to women in office.”
“Biden [does not] because he uses women as a bragging right; saying ‘I have a Black woman as my VP-’ that should be the norm; he’s disrespecting that. While Trump has made nasty comments about women, he fully supports and employs many working moms which I think is a big struggle for women.”
“I think they both disrespect women. There have been quite a few cases of Biden invading women’s personal space and touching them inappropriately. [However], he has acknowledged his awareness of invading women’s personal space. Trump has insulted, belittled, sexualized, and stereotyped women. There have been 26 women, maybe more, that have shared their story of how Trump sexually assaulted them.”
The key to a good opinion is supporting it. Thus, I decided to embark on some research regarding the policies mentioned. The WGDP policy enforces “women prospering in the workforce, women succeeding as entrepreneurs, and women enabled in the economy,” according to whitehouse.gov. Biden’s agenda and goals for women in America can be found on joebiden.com under “Biden Agenda for Women.”
Whether you fall on the left or right side of the political spectrum, or even in the middle, feminism and politics are one of today’s biggest hand-in-hand topics. As we proceed with the 2020 election, I expect we will receive more coverage on the President and Presidential candidate’s policies for women and actions towards women.
This article was written by Maggie Passamonte