Female politicians can be punished at the polls for not smiling – but men aren’t
Female politicians can be punished at the polls for not smiling – but men aren’t
Publish Date: 2026-03-25 12:14:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
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Gender Stereotypes in Politics: Female politicians face harsh scrutiny if they do not conform to traditional expectations of warmth and empathy, which includes smiling, more so than their male counterparts despite the contradictory demands of authority and seriousness in political roles.
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Smiling and Electoral Outcomes: A statistical study analyzing French electoral manifestos showed that women are perceived as smiling less than men and that not smiling impacts women’s electoral success more than men’s. Smiling men and women both score higher in polls compared to non-smiling candidates, but non-smiling female candidates suffer additional penalties.
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Double-Edged Sword for Women: Smiling can be a tool for women to balance empathy and authority, yet doing so risks being seen as less competent. Conversely, adopting serious expressions often leads to criticisms of coldness and lack of empathy.
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Emotional Costs: Women politicians face an “invisible tax” of emotional expenditure in managing their image to meet gendered expectations, which can add to their political burden compared to men.
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Strategies and Adaptation: Female politicians may conform to expectations, challenge norms and risk electoral penalties for neutrality, or use media stereotypes strategically to their advantage, illustrating the paradox between electoral success and effective governance.
