Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has held a lead among female Democratic voters in the majority of the nation’s primaries and caucuses thus far.

Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State, said there has been a rather large gender gap that has grown even larger in the states Clinton has won.

“I think at some point, some people are voting for Clinton because she’s a woman,” Bystrom said.

She said the changes can be see across the age spectrum. Overall, women 50 or older have been more likely to support Clinton than younger women.

Bystrom said she thinks this trend is occurring because younger female voters have had different experiences from older women, who have often experienced more gender-based discrimination.

Bystrom said young voters have taken a keen interest in the age difference between Clinton and her Democratic opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

“You also see more younger women that are more intrigued by the generation difference between Clinton and Obama,” Bystrom said.

The gender gap in Democratic caucuses and primaries has varied – it has been more significant at some times than others. In Iowa, for example, Clinton led Obama among female Democratic voters by 7 percent, which Bystrom said is not very significant. In comparison, during the Democratic primaries in Oklahoma, Obama actually led Clinton among female Democrats by 1 percent.

In New Hampshire, where Clinton won, Clinton led Obama in female support by 17 percent. She also led by 19 percent in Wisconsin and 20 percent in Utah, but did not win either state.

Overall, Obama tends to come out ahead of Clinton among men, and Clinton tends to come out ahead among women, matching their own genders. The supporting numbers are all based on exit polls from past contests, Bystrom said.

She added that there will probably be some women who would be disappointed if Clinton was not the Democratic nominee and some blacks who would be disappointed if Obama was not the nominee, but both women and blacks have consistently supported Democratic candidates.

“I think [both groups] are very predictable in supporting the Democratic candidate,” Bystrom said.

Teresa Tompkins, sophomore in political science and member of ISU Democrats, said she supports Clinton even though she doesn’t think she will clinch the Democratic nomination. Tompkins said the fact that Clinton is a woman has “not necessarily” affected her support for the former first lady.

Tompkins said others she has spoken with have varied opinions of Clinton. Some have been turned off by Clinton’s aggressiveness, but some have seen Clinton’s place in politics as a positive.

Elizabeth Mason, sophomore in art and design, is a registered independent and said she does not support Hillary Clinton because she finds her “very insensitive.” At the same time, Mason said she appreciates her “being a woman, taking charge and going for it – and standing up for women’s rights.”