The UNI Political Science Society hosted a panel in Lang Auditorium following a viewing of the documentary Miss Representation on Wednesday.
The film, released in 2011, discusses and exposes how women are portrayed in mainstream media and how the mainstream media contributes to the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women, especially when those women are in positions of power in America. Many of the examples came from reality television, advertisements, movies and music.
The film also shows how women in politics in the U.S. are up against more than just their opponent. They are up against the media itself, which has the power to categorize women based on their behavior and physical appearance.
The main examples of women in politics came from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clintons presidential campaign and the presidential campaign of 2008, in which former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, became the first female Republican to be nominated for vice president.
The panel included former Iowa State Sen. and Lt. Gov. Joy Corning, associate professor of political science Chris Larimer and assistant professor of political science Alison Martens.
If you are a woman and you want to get into politics, get out there and start doing something for your community, Corning said. Work an event, be on the school board or run for a country supervisor position. Women, especially in politics, have to get their name out there in order to be a leader and a voice.
After watching the first 40 minutes of the film, the panel invited audience members to ask questions or make comments it.
The discussion topics were centered on the obstacles women face in politics.
If you are a woman and being in elected office is not your thing, thats okay, but do something else with what you have, Martens said. Write a book, volunteer, do something with your brain and your talents, because your knowledge and how you use it will define you as a person.
