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Avoiding Gender Issues! - Page 2

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Women must also be assertive enough to blow their own horns. Try saying, "I did this" or "I deserve credit for that." Don't say words like "training" or "considering" or "developing." Give specifics about what you will do and what you have done. And by all means, don't stand there and allow your opponent to garner all the attention.

When words such as "strong" or "tough" are used to describe a male candidate, it implies that the woman is not those things. And it usually also means that she is not one of the boys. I had an interesting conversation with a man on the phone when I was running for the State House of Representatives. I had run a strong issue campaign and had brought up several issues that the good old boys didnt want dug up. This man on the phone gave me the best compliment of the campaign when he said that I ran my campaign more like a man than the men who were running against me did. In other words, he was complimenting me on my courage and guts. What I understood from it was that, for me, gender was no longer an issue in my campaign.

Women must also remember that the press loves emotion. They love tears and laughter and anger — anything to make a story more sensational. But if a woman shows emotion, it can mean the end of her campaign. Remember when Pat Schoeder, Democrat, of Colorado, got on television to tell the United States that she was not going to continue her campaign for the presidency because she couldn't figure out how to run or raise the money? And then she broke into tears? Now, you see the impression that left on the public. What a hard legacy for women to overcome! Now if it were a man shedding a few tears over a military battle, he would have been looked upon as a caring person. It would be accepted. It may even improve his image.

Another thing to remember is to smile, smile, smile. Keep your movements and gestures close to your body and avoid tilting your head as it may be interpreted as being submissive. Never have a stern look on your face and remember that audiences want to see a warm friendly face.

Golda Meir stated, "To be successful, a woman has to be better at her job than a man." "Success with the press will be no different. Expect to work a little harder and a little longer."

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