BLOG 2 Inequalities and Political Engagement
What is the role of women’s representation in politics?
Whilst examining the role of women in politics it is clear that generally, women are unrepresented in politics. Currently, in the UK parliament, women only account for 35% of the House of Commons and 29% of the House of Lords.
Women’s political engagement:
Traditionally, it has been thought that issues such as social welfare, education, health, economic equality etc. would interest women more than issues such as the economy or foreign policy. Recent topical issues such as abortion are a good example of this. This period saw a huge increase in political participation from women who actively campaigned and protested to protect their reproductive rights to have an abortion. Studies conducted in the past showed that women cared more about “compassion issues” such as crime prevention and domestic security whereas men were significantly more likely to support military intervention abroad and the economy.
However, one important thing to note is the problem with assuming that all women only care about these issues. It enforces the idea that all women are a monolith and somehow share the same experiences and therefore the idea that they would only care about certain policy areas that specifically relate to them is outdated. The experiences of one woman are not the same for everyone and usually differ depending on race, age, social class, political ideology, religion etc. For example, with reproductive health, women who were younger and politically more left-leaning were significantly more inclined to support policies that safeguarded reproductive health whereas older, conservative, and religious women had more traditional views on the matter and supported anti-abortion legislation.
With the rise of more women running for office, it challenges the stereotype that women only care about certain policy issues and re-examines women’s role in politics which in turn encourages increased political participation of other women who may now feel emboldened to take a more active interest in politics.
Why is women’s political participation important?
One of the main reasons why women’s participation in politics is so important is because it strengthens democracy. Representation of all groups in society is one of the key features of any thriving democracy and since women make up around 50% of the electorate, their involvement in politics and government is essential. Studies have found that both the lack of women serving in government and adequate representation affect how many women are willing to participate or even take an interest in politics as they feel underrepresented therefore the increased presence of women in politics generally has a positive effect on others who feel motivated to join in as well. This also promotes the idea of equality. Women who feel as though they have a voice and the opportunity to find a way to meaningfully contribute to politics; either through running for elected office or campaigning for issues they feel strongly about.
As touched upon previously, the concept of intersectionality means people have very different experiences based on their identities and by increasing the participation of all these groups, in this instance, women, not only are the experiences of marginalized groups heard and acknowledged by the majority, it also lends a new perspective on certain matters that now have to be taken into account when considering new policies. This ultimately improves the decision-making process and has an overall positive impact on the implementation of new policies. Furthermore, some UK-based studies found that generally, people view policy decisions made by men and women working alongside one another more favourable to those that are not on the basis of supporting equality.
Does the lack of women in office affect other forms of political participation?
The representation of women in politics, or lack thereof, absolutely affects other women’s willingness to engage in politics. Those who do not feel like they are represented by those running for office tend to disengage with politics and are not motivated to vote nor do they take an active interest in any political campaigns they feel do not cater to their interests.
What does this mean for democracy?
Overall, the less participation from women in politics has a negative effect on not just future legalisation but also the concept of democracy as a whole. The exclusion of women in key positions in the government and women not engaging in politics due to their own lack of interest denies them the opportunity to speak about matters that are important to them. Whether it is the traditional “compassion issues” that were so closely associated with women in politics or whether it’s another policy area that they feel passionate about, they can make a valuable contribution to important discourse or simply learn more about a topic and feel more politically informed, all forms of participation from everyone should be encouraged.
The purposeful or inadvertent exclusion of women in this field not only denies them the opportunity to assist and advance in the implementation of new legislation but also denies society the valuable contributions made by marginalised groups about certain policies that are bound to positively or negatively affect certain members or groups of society.
However, the suggestion that a woman’s presence in politics will automatically result in a more representative democracy and equal society where she is able to freely express her political views and encourage others to do the same, fails to take into consideration existing power structures that might hold some women back from being able to make their own contributions and therefore impede their ability to make a significant political impact.
Furthermore, it is also important to note that while it is certainly true that more women are being elected to positions of power, the automatic assumption that more women in office means greater political power and equality is a false equivalency. Simply holding elected office is not indicative of actual political participation which is key. This is why programs such as the United Nations Development Program’s Gender Inequality Index have been established in order to directly measure political participation through the introduction and implementation of new legislation by women in office to gain a more accurate image of women’s participation and if any gains towards more equality in politics have proven fruitful.
Bibliography:
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