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President Obama has so far failed to recognize 55 percent of his voters in his new term. Women made up more than half of his supporters, but the president has neglected to acknowledge their capacity for leadership.

As Hillary Clinton exits the State Department and Lisa Jackson steps down as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, cabinet positions will lack a female presence.

“It’s kind of upsetting to see that there is a lack of women leaders out there,” said Mariela Nevarez, a junior at DePaul.

“I think more women need to step up and not be scared of such masculine fields.”

Despite what some may think, it is not that women are not trying – Obama has consistently nominated males for political positions. William Baer became the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division Jan. 3.

Obama’s expected pick for Treasury secretary is Jack Lew, and for Secretary of State it is John Kerry. Furthermore, John Brennan is expected to become the next CIA chief.

The hegemonic practices displayed in Obama’s white male cabinet is also apparent in other job fields across the country.

According to the American Society of News Editors, only 40.5 percent of newspaper employees were women in 2011.

“I hope it’s something that can change,” said Nevarez.

“More women have taken initiative to step into leadership roles, – just not enough. It can change. It better change.”

According to the Women’s Media Center, women characters in movies and TV shows do not usually take the leadership roles and are often less likely than their male character counterparts to achieve their goals.

The way women are portrayed on TV dictates real life. This on-screen inequality not only affects the standards of equality, but also establishes or abolishes stereotypes.

Despite the unequal representation of women on Obama’s staff, there are still open positions for the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Appointing a female to any of these positions, specifically the FCC, would provide the opportunity for the media to associate an image of power and achievement with the image of the female.