Sexism and the Presidential Election

Presidential Elections: Sexism at Work

The 2020 presidential election is unique in that six of the Democratic candidates who ran or are running for President are women. This unprecedented number of women candidates has led to a heightened awareness of how they are perceived, treated and scrutinized as viable candidates.

The Most Female Presidential Candidates in History

In 2019, six women formally announced their candidacy for president: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Marianne Williamson, author, politician and activist. Four of these women are white and two are women of color.

About the Lesson Plan

This lesson enables students to learn more about the history of women and the presidency, analyze how sexism surfaces during campaigns and explore their own points of view about these issues.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will gain knowledge in the history of women and the presidency.
• Students will reflect on gender bias in presidential elections.
• Students will explore their opinions about women, sexism and the presidency by writing an argumentative essay.