It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in elected offices across the world. Today, women occupy 33% of the 8,230 state and federal elected positions — a record high. Despite ongoing progress, the gender gap persists.

The unequal distribution of power is compounded among women of color. Of the 12,763 women ever elected to state or federal office, 13% were women of color. Today’s proportion is even lower with only 9% of elected women identifying as people of color, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

In Hawaii, our legislative diversity reflects our standing as the most diverse state in the nation. Currently, 42% of our state and federal officeholders are women and 75% of those women identify as people of color.

Throughout our history, Hawaii’s women have been groundbreakers for women of color in the United States. In 1965, Patsy Takemoto Mink became the first woman of color elected to Congress.

Twenty-two years later, Pat Saiki became the first Republican woman of color to achieve the honor. Colleen Hanabusa also made history as the first woman of color to serve as president of a state Senate, and Mazie Hirono was the first woman of Asian ancestry in the U.S. Senate. The four women were all Japanese American.

Despite our successes, Hawaii has not solved political parity. We’ve never had a woman of color in our state’s top executive position, and women remain underrepresented in the Legislature. The last time I ran for office, in 2018, every woman running against a man in a top-ticket Democratic race lost. Being from Hawaii didn’t prevent Hanabusa from being labeled “too aggressive,” and it didn’t stop people from telling me that I should smile less because I looked “too girly.”

Most women who run for office know that they’re tasked with adopting seemingly conflicting characteristics with little room for error – be strong but not aggressive, be likable but not pretty, be smart but not intimidatingly so, be approachable but serious, etc.

Expectations like these come from unhealthy gender stereotypes that contribute to the unequal representation of women in government. These stereotypes make it harder for women to gain support from party gatekeepers, access to major donors, and fundraising momentum. Of course, women of color have the added burden of racial stereotypes that can also impact their success.

Longstanding Stereotypes

Yet stereotypes can be navigated, changed or overshadowed in each woman’s campaign by better understanding how voters use gender to evaluate candidates. Research shows that voters are not influenced by a candidate’s singular identity, and the stereotypes they apply vary. Gender identity intersects with partisan identity and racial identity, which either mitigates or compounds the impact of female stereotypes.

For example, partisanship is a gendered concept so a Republican woman may experience less gender-based bias because voters associate the Republican Party with stereotypically male traits based on policies perceived as “tough.” On the other hand, a Democratic woman may struggle more to counteract the stereotypical perception that women are “too emotional” for leadership roles. Her femininity could be compounded by voters who associate the Democratic Party with stereotypically female traits like compassion.

Racial stereotypes are also gendered. Racial bias can lead voters to apply stereotypically male traits like “aggression” to Black female candidates while the same voters may perceive “feminine weakness” when evaluating Asian female candidates. Applications also vary within racial groups. In an example close to home, voters may punish an outspoken woman of Japanese ancestry for defying cultural norms and initiating confrontation. But they may also punish an agreeable Japanese female candidate who fits closer to traditional expectations because they perceive her as weak or subservient.

Candidate Strategies

Let’s start with a few options for candidates. During the 2020 election, non-incumbent women utilized two replicable strategies to overcome negative perceptions and achieve higher win rates than men in U.S. House races.

First, women leveraged their gender identity as a source of strength. Stereotypically female traits like compassion, care and motherhood are often perceived as less desirable traits for political leadership. However, women who applied those traits to specific policy issues like gun reform found that their gender identity gave voters favorable insight into their motivation and capabilities for policymaking. Further, women who emphasized their opportunity to be a “first” of their gender or race to win their seat found that many voters wanted to help them make history.

Second, women found success in meeting “masculine” expectations of political leaders without sacrificing their personal gender identity. One recommendation from pollster Celinda Lake is that women can find success by telling stories about the “dragons they have slayed.”

For example, women candidates who highlight overcoming breast cancer, domestic abuse, sexual trauma or parental loss can connect that personal strength to the toughness they’ll bring to the job. While these strategies don’t directly criticize or counter gender stereotypes, they provide voters with examples that show men do not own “strength,” which can shift voters’ gender perceptions over time.

How Voters Can Help

Of course, employing these strategies puts an unfair intellectual and emotional burden on women candidates, especially if they need to navigate them on their own. So, what can the rest of us do to help?

When discussing candidates, politicians or women leaders in general, we should recognize and call out bias when we hear it.

If you’re watching a debate and find yourself frustrated that a woman keeps interrupting the other candidates, take the time to notice how often the male candidates do the same. When someone calls a female politician emotional or abrasive, point out that men are rarely criticized in those terms. Always ask yourself if your evaluation of the candidate would be the same if their gender was different.

Promote and encourage women. The major cause of the political gender gap politics is that women, especially women of color, run at lower rates than their male counterparts. That’s often because they believe they don’t have the qualifications or the support they need to succeed. So make sure the women around you know that they can and should step up to lead.

Until we rid ourselves of biases, women candidates will have a steeper climb. But research shows that women who run regularly win. In some cases, their gender and race could even be an advantage.