WOMEN IN POLITICS: Chauvinism vs. Feminism?

WOMEN IN POLITICS: Chauvinism vs. Feminism?

The last time I was on vacation, I had ample opportunity to do the things I really like- chasing girls in the neighbourhood (just joking o), waking up late, visiting people, not going to work, sleeping all day and watching television. Watching TV- my favourite television station is CNN, I like Christine Amanpour, Becky Anderson, Hala Gorani, Richard Quest, Natalie Allen, Amara Walker, Maggie Lake amongst other wonderful presenters. I stay clued to the Cable News Network most of the time. However, on a fateful day, I saw a newsflash, “Women allowed voting for the first time in Saudi Arabia” Honestly, I did not know and I would not have believed if it was not on CNN that there is a country where women are still disenfranchised because of their gender. Hello somebody? It is 2015.

Despite comprising over 50 percent of the world’s population, women continue to be under-represented as voters, political leaders and elected officials. Democracy cannot truly deliver for all of its citizens if half of the population remains underrepresented in the political arena. From the local to the global level, women’s leadership and political participation are often limited. Women are underrepresented as voters, as well as in leading positions, whether in elected office, the civil service, the private sector or academia. This occurs despite their proven abilities as leaders and agents of change, and their right to participate equally in democratic governance. At the 2011 UN General Assembly resolution on women’s political participation notes, “Women in every part of the world continue to be largely marginalized from the political sphere, often as a result of discriminatory laws, practices, attitudes and gender stereotypes, low levels of education, lack of access to health care and the disproportionate effect of poverty on women.”

Women are Great Leaders

Research has shown that especially in rural contexts, women that do gain a political or administrative platform favour policies on areas that rural women struggle with - such as the availability of water and road infrastructure.

According to VSO’s official website, women around the world often face daunting social, economic and political challenges both as activists, elected officials and constituents, their contributions are crucial to building a strong and vibrant society because:

·        Women, as the conventional primary caretakers of children, often have a more prominent role than men in advocating for children. Female representatives not only advance women's rights, but also advance the rights of children. Most of us prefer to relate with our mothers than fathers, this is partly because Women tend to understand opinions and emotions better than men.

·        Women are highly committed to promoting national and local policies that would address the socio-economic and political challenges facing women, children and disadvantaged groups. A number of studies from both industrialized and developed countries indicate that women in local government tend to advance social issues.

·        Women are particularly effective in promoting honest government. Countries where women are supported as leaders and at the ballot box have a correspondingly low level of corruption. Germany, Liberia, Brazil and the likes provide abundant reference.

·        Women are strongly committed to peace building, as they often disproportionately suffer the consequences of armed conflict. Reconstruction and reconciliation efforts take root more quickly and are more sustainable when women are involved. By helping women become participating members of a democracy, one can look to mitigate conflicts or stop conflicts before they begin.

·        Women are strongly linked to positive developments in education, infrastructure and health standards at the local level. Where rates of gender development and empowerment are higher, human rates of development and standards of living are also higher.

The Limitations

Regrettably, women face several obstacles to participating in political life. Structural barriers through discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women’s options to run for office. Capacity gaps mean women are less likely than men to have the education, contacts and resources needed to become effective leaders.

       I.            Social Perception- According to Wikipedia, women participation has been limited by the assumption that women’s proper sphere is the “private” sphere. Whereas the “public” domain is one of political authority and contestation, the “private” realm is associated with the family and the home. By relegating women to the private sphere, their ability to enter the political arena is curtailed. Gender inequality within families, inequitable division of labour within households, and cultural attitudes about gender roles further subjugate women and serve to limit their representation in public life. Societies that are highly patriarchal often have local power structures that make it difficult for women to combat. Thus, their interests are often not represented.

    II.            Cultural, Traditional and Religious Beliefs- In many countries, strong patriarchal cultures subordinate girls and women in private life and exclude them from participation in public life. In Bangladesh, for example, state legislation frequently disregards women’s rights, despite the constitution stating that “all citizens are equal before the law”. In Northern Ghana, tradition dictates that women must not sit with men at community meetings but sit behind them. Such lack of opportunity to approach local politics on an equal footing sees those women who do engage fighting an uphill battle to be accepted by their constituents, including female voters.

 III.            Poverty- Women living in poverty carry the overwhelming burden of domestic responsibilities. In my previous write-up on a similar topic titled; “Gender Equality: Let’s Make it Happen”, I argued that 70% of the world’s poor are women and a large number of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle-East. They tend to have multiple roles as wives, mothers, daughters, community carers and income-generators. They are expected to gather water and firewood, and to clean, to cook and support their families. This work is unpaid and time consuming. For women living in poverty, getting involved in anything beyond their immediate needs for survival may seem like an impossible extra burden. These domestic expectations also contribute towards the lower educational attainment of girls, which in turn affects their ability and confidence to put themselves forward for roles in political and public life later on.

THE WAY FORWARD

Women in government in the modern era are under-represented in most countries worldwide, in contrast to men. However, women are increasingly being politically elected to be heads of state and government. At the time of putting this piece together, more than 20 countries currently have a woman holding office as the head of a national government. Brazil, Germany, India, Argentina, Australia, United Kingdom, Jordan, Thailand, Liberia, Costa-Rica to mention a few presently have a female Head of Government or a past Head of government and a number of countries are exploring measures that may increase women's participation in government at all levels, from the local to the national.

According to reliable statistical data, the global participation rate of women in national-level parliaments is nearly 20% but more still needs to be done because women are more likely to live in poverty than men and women will not be equally represented in parliaments until 2065, and will not make up half the world’s leaders until 2134. All hands must be on deck to ensure equal opportunities to elective positions without gender as a barrier. It is essential they have a voice because we cannot move forward if half the world's population is left behind.

God Bless Us All

Olusanya, Oluwole Sheriff.