Topic: Women’s Political
Leadership and Participation
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
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HISTORY OF THE ISSUE
1. Nature of politics: “Democracy has historically served men better than women.” Originally,
women have been excluded from citizenship. Most political thinkers and philosophers (Plato,
Rousseau, Aristotle, John Lock) believed that “there was no place for women in politics
because of their suitability in caring roles as mothers and wives.”1
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Female oppression is deeply rooted in the world’s long patriarchal legacy.
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Patriarchy describes a society that “promoted male privilege by being male
dominated, male identified, and male centered. It is also organized around an
obsession with control and involves as one of its aspects the oppression of women.”2
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Male dominance – positions of authority (political, religious, legal, educational,
military, economic) are reserved for men; historically, the majority of Heads of State,
CEOs, generals and legislators were all men.
o
Male identification – core cultural ideas of what is considered “good, desirable,
preferable, or normal” are linked to men. Work fields valued in society, such as
politics, business, and medicine are associated with men
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Exceptions are isolated: Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth I, Indira Gandhi, Golda
Meir
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Male centered – in the media, in popular culture and people’s interests are focused on
men
Feminism3: Feminism began with its first wave in the 19th and early 20th century in the
UK, Canada, and the US, that mainly focused on gaining legal rights, such as the right to
vote. This wave ended when women in North America succeeded with some legal gains like
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the right to own and inherit property, and when women won the right to vote between 1917
and 1920.
o
Second wave: Began in the 1960s and lasted into the late 1970s; had a stronger focus
on wider issues, such as inequalities in the workplace, more legal inequalities, and
educational disparity. Also focused on fighting discrimination, and linked cultural and
political inequalities.4
o
Feminist analysis of politics (feminist political theory): Mainstream politics and the
state were seen as “initially patriarchal in nature…which institutionalises and
reproduces male domination”5 Feminist analysis is now increasingly focused on how
“gender issues are constructed in policy debates and decision-making.”6
o
On a global level7:
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India: Women’s movement began in the 1920s that succeeded in legal
guarantees of equal rights for women and a New Women’s Movement emerged
in the 1970s. Still, “patriarchy remains deeply entrenched in India.”8
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Palestine (Rabab Abdulhadi, feminist activist and scholar): include such
interviews?
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Origins: Women’s historical exclusion from many public and private sectors, especially from
structures of power and decision-making, also entailed the absence of women in the political
field.
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Women constitute a little over 50% of the world’s population. However, according to the
UNDP report of 20059: Women’s representation in legislatures around the world total to 15%
o
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Only in 12 countries - women hold 33% or more seats in parliaments
Some increases: From 1998 to 2008: Proportion of women in parliament at national level
increased by 8 %, resulting in a global average of 18.4 percent.10 However, in worldwide
legislatures, the ratio of men to women is 4 to 1. In 2009, only 17 heads of state were women.
DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM
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Division between public and private sector: Politics was believed to not have an effect on the
private sector. Thus, women, who were placed in the private sector as mothers and
homemakers were not considered for any inclusion or participation in the public sector.
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Gender inequality in politics: In politics, where men are largely the decision-makers and
leaders, the inclusion of women is not a first priority and is often overlooked. Also, women
are not elected to leadership positions within parties and political structures because of
“gender biases of male leadership.”11
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Economic factors: ?
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Prevalence in Arab States: UNDP ranked as second-lowest region on the Gender
Empowerment Measure; Inter-Parliamentary Union ranked as region with lowest
percentage of women in parliament12
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A strong root in women’s rights and equality is needed to lead overall international
development.
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Take a look at the UN Millennium Development Goals: Eight goals, agreed by the
world’s countries, with a target year of 2015 to meet certain needs including an end to
poverty and hunger, universal education, gender equality and child and maternal
health
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Among poverty-stricken nations, girls and women are especially affected, which in
turn hinders their opportunity for education. “Girls in poorest households are three
times more likely to be out of school as those from wealthiest households.” There is
still a gender gap in education, especially in poverty-stricken nations, also because of
social and cultural factors: education for girls is considered to have less value than
education for boys. Thus, in the face of low financial situations, education for boys
comes as a higher priority.
o
Employment: “Women are largely relegated to more vulnerable forms of
employment.”13 A majority of top-level jobs still go to men, while women are
overrepresented in informal education, with 80% in jobs without formal contracts,
benefits and security.
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As a reminder of the “low status accorded to women in many societies,” little attention
is paid to maternal health, resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths.
PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS
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Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 14
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Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979
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Defines discrimination against women
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States measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, including
those in the political life
Beijing Platform for Action15:
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Result of 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women
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Goals: “removing all the obstacles to women's active participation in all spheres of
public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and
political decision-making”16
Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women17
o
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United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) – administered by United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) – now dissolved and incorporated into UN Women
o
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Global share of women in parliament reached 19% in 2010, but still far from the
target 30% that was to be met by 1995 and from the Millennium Goal target for
gender parity (40-60%)
Founded in 1976, worked to eliminate discrimination and promote gender equality
United Nations General Assembly created UN Women
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Goals: gender equality and the empowerment of women18
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Including: aiming to increasing women’s political participation and “to ensure that
decision-making processes include the participation of women and are equitable.19
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
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Bloc positions
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Pacific
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/enabling-environment2005/docs/EGM-WPD-EE-2005EP.12%20%20draft%20F.pdf
2 http://sfsworld.temple.edu/tempress/chapters_1100/1339_ch1.pdf
3 http://www.ffaw.nf.ca/Docs/a%20short%20history%20of%20feminsm.pdf
4 http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/6236_Chapter_1_Krolokke_2nd_Rev_Final_Pdf.pdf
5 http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/publications/eps/onlineissues/spring2004/research/mottier.htm
6 http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/publications/eps/onlineissues/spring2004/research/mottier.htm
7 http://www.umich.edu/~glblfem/transcripts/us/BOOKLET_U_E_102806.pdf
8 http://www.onlinewomeninpolitics.org/india/indian.pdf
9 http://www.undp.org/annualreports/2005/english/IAR05-English.pdf
10 http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/democratic_governance/
11 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/enabling-environment2005/docs/EGM-WPD-EE-2005EP.12%20%20draft%20F.pdf
12 http://www.idea.int/publications/wip2/upload/Arab_World.pdf
13 http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf#page=10
14 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm
15 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf
16 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/plat1.htm#statement
17 http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf#page=22
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http://www.unwomen.org/
http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/democratic_governance/