Volume 11, Issue 2. December 6, 1999. I'm not denying the existence of distinct masculine and feminine cultural styles or different male and female perspectives based largely on experience.
Sex is a poor predictor of ideology as well.
The female solidarity sometimes forged by women's common experiences doesn't always overcome demo graphic differences among women, not to mention their differences in talent and temperament. So while I look forward to the day when women have equal access to high elective and appointive offices, when sex is not an obstacle to political achievement, I have never considered sex a reliable signal of political preferences. It's true that studies of women in state legislatures have suggested that they are apt to pay more attention than men to issues such as child care and family leave and that they tend to be more responsive to demands for women's rights. But a profile of the average female legislator has little relevance in any particular election. We evaluate candidates as individuals, on the basis of their own political records and ideas, not on the basis of the voting records of their demographic group.