St. Paul’s historical voting of an all-female city council sets a positive precedent that future Minnesota cities can follow. But, it also highlights a truth one too many Americans already knew to be true: gender inequality in America is just as robust as ever.
One statistic in St. Paul’s population tells a story all too common in America. When separated by gender, St. Paul is 38.6% men and 61.4% women. It has been around that gender ratio for some time, which not only makes this victory special, but a reminder of a flaw in society — women can be the majority, and still have little to no representation. St. Paul’s new city council, although historic, is a sad reminder that society has a long way to go. The election just occurred and therefore attacks from right wing misogynists have not had time to occur. But we can look to other similar instances, statewide and nationally, to judge what one could expect.
One example of a famous woman in Minnesota facing attacks due to her identity is congresswoman Ilhan Omar. With an upcoming congressional election, Omar is going against Don Samules who, not even four months into his announcement of his candidacy, has already used misogyny to attack Omar. In a podcast on Nov. 21, Samuels went on “The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky” to discuss his campaign. During the conversation, Samuels made misogynistic and sexist comments in regards to representative Omar. He began by speaking about Omar’s interaction with the constituency, but later continued to talk about Omar herself. In the part that has caught attention, he stated “You’re not cute enough, you don’t dress well enough, nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit.” This prompted Omar to come out with a statement stating “This is beneath the dignity of any adult, let alone someone seeking public office,” Omar said. “It is reminiscent of the worst kinds of lies and misogyny that we are hearing from people like Donald Trump, who think they can say anything about women and get away with it.’”
Another woman in politics facing similar repercussions is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or commonly known as AOC. Ever since victory in her 2018 congressional election, AOC has faced attacks for being a woman in politics on all fronts. Clips constantly go viral of her addressing and fighting misogynist attacks from members of the republican party. Another attack that women in government unilaterally face is sexualization, and the quote aforementioned about Ilhan not being cute enough is a perfect example. AOC unfortunately has had to deal with the same sexualization. This trend is not exclusive to women in prominent positions. According to an ISD report leading up to the 2022 midterms, there was a worrying rise in attacks against women in government on social media platforms. Something that two years later has still not shifted, especially when looking at Minnesota.
A StarTribune article published in 2021 went into depth exploring elected women in Minnesota and their experiences. The results were not surprising. In the article Rep. Betty McCollum, a female representative, spoke on how women in public office are treated. “Women in elective office have become the go-to target, women in this country still do not get the equal respect that their male colleagues do. In other words, women are easier targets, they’re softer targets. And I think that puts all of us in a much greater place of danger,” she said. When it comes to women in politics it also boils down to aesthetics as well — who looks like a politician? Mona Lena Krook, who wrote a book about women in politics and the violence they face in their position, said “In the U.S. we’ve never had so many women in politics and women of color in congress. It goes to the roots of identity-based violence,” she said. “It’s really about who does and doesn’t look like a politician to some people.”
U.S Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, has experienced various levels of threats. Bomb threats were targeted at her Burnsville office due to her criticism of Donald Trump, in Dec. 2019. Only a few months later, someone left a voicemail at her office, “If you don’t vote ‘no’ for President Trump’s impeachment, you’re gonna die, b****.” She faces constant attacks on social media and intimidation in person, with the most prominent example being the instance in which she was attacked in her DC apartment.
When women make gains in any sphere, but especially the political sphere, there are consistently concessions alongside those well fought gains. Safety, mental health and career ambitions are all sacrificed in the name of just existing in a role to better society. When we look at the St. Paul City Council, we see a long time coming victory that unfortunately exposes the flaws in America’s politics. As the political sphere becomes more and more occupied by women, the unfortunate reality is that violence towards those very same women is set to increase.
But not all is bad — the reality is more women in politics is a good thing, even with the unfortunate concessions made. When any type of group incurs more political power, positive gains are made in some shape or form. In light of these challenges, it is crucial to acknowledge the resilience and determination of women leaders who continue to serve despite the adversities they face. The legacy they leave is not only defined by their accomplishments, it is defined by the path they leave. Such as the historical voting of an all-female city council in St. Paul, or Park’s victory for representation of women in politics with the first female mayor in Saint Louis Park history being recently inaugurated. All of these victories are not just accomplishments, they are precedents.
