Are we progressing?

The Commons library found that “The 2019 General Election returned the highest number and proportion of female MPs ever recorded: 220 (34%) of 650 MPs are women” (Allen, 2020). This clearly shows the progression of the feminist movement, which has allowed women to have a voice within parliament which was much less likely in the past. However, this is still a very low number of female MPs, so there is room for more progress. This blog will explore political inequalities with the main focus being female inequalities. I will be discussing the correlation of women in politics and the positive effects of this and I will also be discussing the separate struggle of women of colour. So how were women fighting to be treated as equals to their male counterparts?

 

(Simple Foundation,2018)

 

History of Feminism

Let’s give some history into the birth of feminism. Feminism has advocated for women to have equal rights since the 19th century, beginning with the suffragette movement and culminating with the representation of The People Act in  1918. While this was a positive of the feminist movement, women were still being policed on how they could vote; Women had to be over 30  and married, whereas men were only required to be  21, which showed the hypocrisy of the state. Feminism has expanded going through four waves, with the latest wave focusing on intersectionality. Intersectionality allowed the feminist movement to expand into what it is today, and it has allowed all women to fight for equality, such as women of colour and transgender women.

 

The Expanding World of Feminism

With the introduction of intersectionality feminism, many women of colour or trans women can be accepted and heard about the daily injustices they face. Women of colour who wanted to vote had to work even harder to be treated as equals. Because of this, BAME citizens feel more inclined. An article from the Guardian stated Labour won an estimated 77% of ethnic minority voters, the Conservatives 20% and the Lib Dems 3%”(Woolley, 2019). This clearly portrays the notion that ethnic minorities are politically engaged as they believe what they are fighting is being represented by the labour party. This also shows that they are more inclined to vote for the Labour Party as they are more inclined to help out ethnic minorities than the Conservative Party.

Why are we still fighting?

Women have fought to overcome a range of barriers. But what are these barriers? Many women with children are considered to have a dual role within the family, becoming both the housewife and breadwinner, giving them less chance to go out and vote; however, they still are keen as this is what they fought for. An article discussing the gender gaps in the 2019 election stated, “47% of men voted Conservative, compared to 42% of women, 29% of men voted Labour, compared to 37% of women” (Dr Rosalind Shorrocks, 2021 A). This clearly shows the notion that young women are more comfortable to vote for labour as they are the more liberal party and may discuss issues concerning them which is shown by this graph.

(Dr Rosalind Shorrocks, 2021 B)

 

Our issues are not being discussed

Women have fought to vote for many years; however, the state has not discussed women’s issues. We are told that our vote matters while also being told it does not, and  Women have begged for things such as equal pay and rights over their bodies, but we are constantly swindled into a lesser deal. For some, we are taught as children that we should not discuss money; however, we are taught that so that we don’t ask if we are treated as equals in society. Pollak (2013)  in the Guardian stated that “Regardless of gender equality, women are less likely to know about current affairs than men”(Pollak, 2013). This clearly proves the neglect women receive at the hands of the state, and by not being taught this knowledge, we are denied the right to express our opinions.

 

(Vox,2018)

Finally getting recognition

Women have been fighting for the right to vote for many decades to be treated as equals, with many forms of feminist movements being produced around. Feminism today has allowed women to have more of an equal footing with men. For many years the primary purpose of feminism was to fight for women to have the same human rights as men in modern times; Feminism allows women to show that they are worthy of the acknowledgement of their skills, and for a long time, women have constantly been undervalued in government and public life.UN Women (2022) found that “As of 1 January 2023, there are 31 countries where 34 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government” (UN Women, 2022). This clearly shows that the advancement of women’s political engagement has increased throughout the decades, which has shown to have a positive effect on society. So the real question is, why are women still seen as lesser individuals in society if there are so many beneficial changes of them being a part of politics?

Women being a part of politics is a positive

The advancement in feminism allows all women from every walk of life to have a say in their human rights. For example, the introduction of intersectional feminism has allowed many women of colour and trans women to be able to have their say about their rights and therefore allow them to choose between the fight for only one cause, such as race or transexual rights. Feminism has fought for the rights of women for decades. With the growing attack on women’s rights in recent years, it is as vital as ever for women to stand together to ensure that we are not going back in time and losing all the progress we have made all these years. An article by Women Delivers (2016) discussing the positives of female political engagement states, “Studies show that increasing women’s participation in politics leads to greater investments in education and companies with female board representation “ (Women Deliver,2016). This clearly shows the positive success of the political engagement of women.

What can we do?

Let’s think. There is already a very low number of women within politics and an even lower number of women of colour. By changing this and having more women within politics, we are also allowing young girls and women to see themselves and become aware that their issues are being discussed to let them feel that they will be prepared when they step into the world. However, the societal divide will only increase if we continue to shun women from politics.

 

Bibliography

1. Allen, G. (2020). General Election 2019: How many women were elected? parliament.uk. [online] Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/general-election-2019-how-many-women-were-elected/. [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].
2. Dr Rosalind Shorrocks (2021). Gender gaps in the 2019 General Election – UK in a changing Europe. [online] UK in a changing Europe. Available at: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/gender-gaps-in-the-2019-general-election/. [Accessed 9 Mar. 2023].
3. Pollak, S. (2013). Women know less about politics than men worldwide. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jul/11/women-know-less-politics-than-men-worldwide. [Accessed 13 Mar. 2023].
4. simpleshow foundation (2018). Gender Equality In Politics. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfwON-LM40U. [Accessed 18 Mar. 2023].
5. UN Women (2022). Facts and figures: Leadership and political participation. [online] UN Women. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].
6. Vox (2018). What happens when women win elections. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYyacj_tYs4.  [Accessed 20 Mar. 2023].
7. Women Deliver. (2016). Strengthen Women’s Political Participation and Decision-Making Power – Women Deliver. [online] Available at: https://womendeliver.org/investment/strengthen-womens-political-participation-decision-making-power/. [Accessed 14 Mar. 2023].
8. Woolley, S. (2019). Black and Asian people can change this election: it’s urgent that we register now. The Guardian. [online] 25 Nov. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/25/black-asian-change-election-register-to-vote [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].