Sexism

The political world is predominantly androcentric, showing only a few women in apical positions. Androcentrism is achieved through forms of discrimination against women. The main form is sexism, a way to promote gender-based inequality practices. In politics, sexism acts in institutions, in the media system, and at the level of common sense, creating a vicious circle that makes it difficult for women to succeed. In political communication, these practices overshadow women politicians. They do this with an imbalance in their mass media coverage, focusing on their aesthetic appearance or private life rather than their capacities, by using gender stereotypes that describe women as unsuitable for political office. Finally, biased language than inclusive, as in the case of the prevalence of the generic masculine (a form of masculine used for both men and women), creates a collective imaginary of the politics dominated by men and induces attitudes and psycho-social processes that weaken women. Research helps unravel these processes and contrast them.