Washington:
The US presidential election 2024 is a battle of the sexes.
Historically speaking, women have leaned towards voting for Democrats more than men have, since the 1980s and this gap has only grown wider since.
This time around, Democrats have been losing support from key demographics such as Black and Latino men. However, they have gained support in other areas – women voters.
According to the Center For American Women and Politics, “The number of female voters has exceeded the number of male voters in every presidential election since 1964” so voter turnout is crucial for both the parties.
Apart from the major issues, such as economy and employment, two important topics that will heavily impact election results are abortion and immigration, Democrat Kamala Harris is gaining ground with the former and Republican Donald Trump with the latter.
Based on an analysis by Gallup, “Women aged 18 to 29 today are more liberal than young women in the past on specific issues, particularly the environment and abortion” which explains the surge in women voters for the Democratic Party.
Trump has struggled to connect with women voters. In fact, women tend to favor Harris over Trump by a significant margin. This trend is consistent with previous elections, where Trump has failed to win over female voters. In 2020, Joe Biden took a major slice of women voters at 55% while Trump only won 44%. Similarly, in 2016, Hillary Clinton claimed 54% of women voters while Trump won 39%.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist posted, “Early vote has been disproportionately female. If men stay at home, Kamala is president. It’s that simple. If you want a vision of the future if you don’t vote, imagine Kamala’s voice cackling, forever. Men need to GO VOTE NOW” urging men to cast their ballot.
Women are of utmost importance in this election because they can make or break the election. “The women’s vote will be decisive this election,” Katherine Tate, a Brown University political scientist, said. “If Harris wins, it will be because women elected her.” She also added that, “Trump has alienated female voters by his abrasive language and aggression.”
On that note, Trump touched a nerve when he said, “You will no longer have anxiety from all of the problems our country has today. You will be protected, and I will be your protector. Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free. You will no longer be thinking about abortion.” He was posing as the liberator and messiah for women, at a campaign rally in Indiana. It had a patronising tone that snatched agency from the voices of women and took America back several years.
However, according to a CNN report, Trump has been asking his close allies why women don’t like him. The gender gap is a serious concern for the Trump campaign. Speaking for the Republican candidate, Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s spokesperson, told The Independent, that he is “loved by millions of women across the country, and those who know him personally, myself included, will tell you he’s supportive, generous and kind.”
It is also noteworthy that since the 1970s at least 27 women have accused Trump of sexual assault and misconduct, all of which the former president has denied.
