The Patriarchy’s Preference: Ivanka or Hillary?

With the end of the Republican National Convention, a question has gained popularity: who says it better: Hillary or Ivanka? As the nominees are announced and the media desperately rushes to draw parallels and connect points of interest to assemble money-making theories, Hillary and Ivanka have once again entered the spotlight. After Ivanka Trump’s speech on women in the workforce, America immediately responded by comparing her to Hillary.

At the RNC, Ivanka Trump stated:

“As a mother myself of three young children, I know how hard it is to raise a family and I know that I am far more fortunate than most. American families need relief. Policies that allow women to thrive should not be novelties, they should be the norm.”

She followed this by assuring that her father would help change labor laws to ensure equality for women in the workforce. This was quickly connected to Hillary’s stance on women in the workforce.

Clinton is known to have been an advocate for alteration of the current labor laws to ones with a foundation on principles of gender equality. According to CNN, she has previously stated:

“We don’t have enough support for maternal leave and the kinds of things that some of the European countries do. So we still make it hard on women to go into the workforce and feel that they can be good at work but then doing the most important job, which is raising your children in a responsible and positive way.”

Thus, a parallel between the two seems fitting.

However, the issue at hand is women’s rights. As much as Hillary is reviled for her political history and as much as her supporters are criticized for playing the gender card, it is crucial to realize that change for women must come from women and not be the charitable act of a man. Why is that America applauds when a woman promises that a man will bring equality for women,  but criticizes when a woman promises that she, herself, will do that? Why is it the America applauds when Ivanka Trump makes a speech in an expensive dress supporting her father, but criticizes when Hillary makes a speech in an expensive attire making promises to change the system herself? Why is so much more clemency shown to Ivanka than to Hillary in regards to the same issues by the media? Are criticisms of Hillary’s political choices merely cloaks that America is using to submerge its biases, preferences and views on women?

Of course, Hillary is subjected to more criticism as she is one of the running candidates and opinions are valid in an election as it is unwise to vote simply based on gender. However, it is equally unwise to turn a blind eye and fail to meticulously analyze the criticisms that are taking place and what they reveal about the American collective consciousness. With woman suffrage laws passed in 1920, one would think that 96 years would be enough for the American consciousness to change its attitude towards women, however, it seems as though it has merely changed its form but its fundamental core remains. Here the question isn’t “who said it better: Ivanka or Hillary?” but rather “What position and image of women is America more comfortable with?”

Featured Image via Wikimedia