Feminism in Politics

When Jacqueline Kennedy visited Caracas, Venezuela for the first time after becoming the First Lady of the United States, she was met with a very warm welcome. As shown in the image, Jacqueline was admired by young girls and women not only in the United States, but also abroad in Venezuela. Although she was largely known for being the wife of the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, she was also a very accomplished woman independently. She was fluent in English, Spanish, and French and she also worked her way up the career ladder as a book editor.

Certainly, Jacqueline was an inspiring image for young girls everywhere. However, the inspiring image she became was certainly not without faults. Although she was incredibly well educated and successful, her rhetoric on her place in politics certainly hindered the development of feminism. She was very outspoken about not having political opinions outside of her husband’s. She believed that women were “too emotional” to be involved in politics. While this can be explained away as a product of the time period she lived in, history does not look fondly on these opinions. For young girls to hear their role model explain that they shouldn’t involve themselves in politics was detrimental to gender representation in the political world. Unfortunately, this misogynistic rhetoric and ideology has had a global impact. Venezuela has never had a single female president.

While this should not be attributed to Jacqueline Kennedy’s work, the ideology she held has remained and spread throughout Venezuela. The closest a woman has ever come to holding the Presidency in Venezuela was Maria Corina Machado who ran for president in the 2012 election. While Jacqueline Kennedy may have been an inspiration for education, elegance, and work-ethic, women like Maria Corina Machado have made progress in women’s representation in Latin American politics.

“First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is Welcomed in Venezuela.” U. S. Department of State photograph in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.