Opinion - American Politicians: The Lords Of Sexist Comments

Since the day United States of America's Vice President Kamala Harris made her bid for the Oval Office, replacing Joe Biden from the race, she has become the subject of trolling and racial abuse. Harris has been the target of harsh condemnation, with many criticising her for not having children.

After Biden ratified Harris, an old video of JD Vance, who has been named as Republican candidate Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 presidential election, has gone viral on social media. In this 2021 video, Vance called Harris one of the "childless cat ladies", who is "miserable" as she has no direct stake in the US since she is not a mother.

One would have thought Vance would be regretting his disparaging comments after becoming Trump's running mate. All such civilised thoughts vanished when the 'gentleman' in question defended his 2021 remarks recently in an unabashed manner.

Even celebrities including actor Jennifer Aniston and singer Taylor Swift also criticised Vance for his biased comments.

People like Vance only reinforce the discourse from the earliest days of the civilisation that 'women are inferior to men'. Despite changing roles in society, the prominent idea of women is that they are mothers. The lessons in moral science are imparted to women, who rebel or simply choose to be different; they are characterised as irrational and irresponsible. This is one of the good reasons why women refrain from joining politics, which is reflected in the poor number of women leaders in the world. According to a Pew Research Centre report, of the 193 members of the United Nations, only 59 countries have had a woman leader.   

Vance's remarks insult women, who made a conscious choice for whatever reasons, to not have children because it doesn't make them lesser in any way.

Demeaning comments   

Harris has been facing both sexism and racism all through her political life. She has been called a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) candidate, inferring she got where she is only because of her race and gender, not because she earned it.

There have also been allegations that she has "slept her way to the top," a typical method to demoralise the achievements of a successful woman.

It has been observed globally, that female politicians receive more abuse than their male counterparts and a majority of it is in the form of misogynistic and vicious anti-female hatred. The rise of social media and cyberbullying have aggravated the hatred against women in public life, and many believe that it's an attempt to silence women and keep them out of power.

Harris became vice president because of her intelligence and talent. Her political track record includes being a US Senator from 2017 to 2021, and the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017, where she managed the largest state justice department in the country.

In contrast, JD Vance spent 18 months as a senator before Trump picked him to be his vice-presidential running mate.

"Many people, out of jealousy or hatred, tend to label ladies on their reproductive capabilities. It surely sets a shallow example for the rest of the world because the statement made by Vance on Kamala Harris goes to prove, how low a man can stoop to hurt the sentiments of accomplished ladies and shame her for her not being able to become a biological mother," says Lakshmi Krishnan, president, Society for the Promotion of Women and Child Welfare, Delhi.

Gender bias

There are many reasons people choose not to procreate: income, health, relationship status and simple preference. For those who are childless not by choice, but perhaps due to infertility or the death of a child, their grief and disappointment can't be assessed.

Myriad factors have played a major role in the declining rates of childbirth in the US. According to the Pew Research Centre survey reports conducted between April and May this year, the share of US adults under 50 who do not have children and are unlikely to ever have children rose by 10 percentage points from 37 per cent in 2018 to 47 per cent in 2023.

In India, one often hears stories of discrimination, stigma, violence and ostracisation of childless women, who are called by choicest of epithets. One attributes such insensitivities to a lack of education, societal pressure and poverty. But an American politician publicly calling and then defending his sexist remarks goes on to show, be it America, India or Africa, men's metal make-up (or the lack of it) will remain sexist.

"This tendency to reduce women's achievements to their roles in family and reproduction reflects deep-seated gender biases that view women's primary value as being tied to their ability to bear children and maintain a household," says Alka Lamba, president, All India Mahila Congress.

Women without children have no lesser stakes or interest in building a better country and society. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the most successful leaders, had no biological children. Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was called "deliberately barren" (by a senator from another party) and a "childless, atheist ex-communist" (by a rival from her own party).

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was repeatedly pestered about her plans for having children. "It is unacceptable to be getting these questions in 2017," Ardern had reacted.

"These stereotypes are often reinforced by cultural narratives, media representations, and institutional policies. As a result, achievements in professional or public spheres can be overlooked or undervalued if they don't align with these traditional roles," says Ms Lamba.

Biased narratives to undercut Harris' legitimacy have been dismissed by the lady herself. She has already bowled over the audiences at her rallies with her powerful speeches and courageous statements about her liberal and bold political agenda, including women's rights on abortion.  

As the race narrows and more Americans find Harris to be "mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges", expect more sensational comments over her gender and race.

It has always been a no-win situation for women. Childless women are denigrated as selfish, while so few mothers make it to the top. 

(Bharti Mishra Nath is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author