(Medill Reports) — The gender gap issue often makes its way into the elections discussion. Carol Moseley Braun and Patricia Watkins were not just two women running for mayor, but also two women of a racial minority. Nationwide data reveal that minority women still have a long way to go in gaining positions of power, but have come a long way over the past two decades. “There are few women who have succeeded in [getting] those positions. For people of color, they have largely gone to men,” said Christine Marie Sierra, principal investigator for the Gender and Multi-Cultural Leadership Project. Mayoral positions vary from city to city depending on population size. Chicago is the third largest city after New York and Los Angeles, which makes the position of mayor more important. Being a female may be perceived by some as a disadvantage, but being a female of color presents another obstacle.
