The United States ranks well in many statistics worldwide, but being 67th in female representation in lower government is not a bright spot on the international political stage.
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United States has 66 women in the House of Representatives, amounting to 14 percent. The actual amount is fairly high compared to most countries, but the percentage lags behind nations like Sweden, which has 158 women filling 349 spots.
The top spot belongs to Rwanda, which has 49 percent of its seats filled by women.
"I think (there are fewer women) because here it's a male-dominated society," said Joe Simon, a history major.
Some of the common barriers women face in government include motherhood and the "non-macho" image.
"It's pretty much a catch-22 when it comes to women in politics," said Janann Sherman, a University of Memphis history professor. "There's always the assumption that women are supposed to take care of the children, and women usually get a late start in politics."
Women who raise children must obviously spend a good deal of their time away from an office, something that hampers females in the American political system.
"There is also the issue of the ability to raise money," Sherman said. "Women's access to money in politics hasn't always been that great, so there just aren't that many women in the pipeline for government offices."
Steve Scanlan, an assistant professor of sociology, said the issue has much to do with how voters perceive female candidates and how open they are.
"In terms of access (for women), there have been a lot of closed doors over the years," he said. "There has to be more of an acceptance of ideas for there to be more opportunities."
Scanlan also felt women are subjected to a double standard when it comes to politics.
"There are always those that will be critical of women when they try to act like a man in politics," he said.
Whitney Fleshman, a philosophy major, believes motherhood is the biggest issue when it comes to women in politics.
"(A female candidate) will get criticized if they don't have children, but if they do they'll get in trouble for spending too much time with them," she said.
Scanlan gave an example that shows the difference between a male in a high office and a female in the same position. He said a father leaving a meeting early to tend to children would be seen as a positive, while a mother that did the same thing would be seen as someone "not dedicated to her job."
Anytime women and politics are discussed, the question about a female eventually in the White House comes up.
"It could happen at any election, and I might give more weight to a woman candidate, because once you open the door, you can't always go back again," Fleshman said.
