Gender Equity in the 21st century The “Politics” section, from the UN’s 2008 report of the progress of the world’s women, discusses in detail how women’s roles in government and politics in general have expanded and can continue to expand. Moreover, it also explores different challenges and obstacles women may encounter when it comes to politics, and how these obstacles can be overcome. In discussing these issues, the author describes a “cycle of political accountability”. This so called cycle is a process by which women’s engagement in politics results in a positive “feedback loop” whereby a more gender-balanced political system may arise. According to the report, there are five stages: mobilization, representation, legislation & policy, implementation, and transforming politics. Of course, the cycle can also go backwards leading to the loss of rights for women. According to the report, women have been running for public offices in ever increasing numbers. Nevertheless, it can sometimes be a daunting task, as women can sometimes encounter violence or prejudice in the field of politics. However, it seems that women’s difficulty in participating in government and politics is an issue which is being tackled in many areas. It seems that it is (or has been) an international issue, which is consistent across many cultures. The types of obstacles women face may vary from are to are, but there usually exist a few obstacles. For example, the report cited an example concerning the 2007 Kenyan general elections where a record number of women sought parliamentary seats, however, there were also unprecedented levels of violence. Women across the world have been grossly underrepresented in government for ages. Of course, certain things are... ... middle of paper ... ...ntries women are restricted in where they can and cannot work. Most commonly, they seem to be restricted from jobs in which physically taxing tasks are the norm. This is no doubt due to the stereotype that women are fragile and weak and must be protected (a stereotype that can hold true, but that is not always true). This also seems to be consistent across culture. However, despite the fact that these restrictions were enacted to protect women, they place heavy limitations on women’s opportunities. Furthermore, these are not the only injustices many women across the world face. However, the only way to fight these injustices is to increase women’s participation in politics, as discussed in the UN report from 2008. It is absolutely vital that women be able to actively participate in politics without letting gender discrimination and stereotypes get in the way.
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Show More2. Nilges, Thorston. "Gender Inequality in Politics." Koed.hu. N.p., 2005. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. .
The initial effects of women’s suffrage on the national level was limited. To a great extent it remains limited; women have always been underrepresented at the federal level. In the first election after the 19th Amendment, 25 states failed to elect a woman, (Rothschild, p. 11). Currently, 26 states do not have a women in their congressional delegation, (Gendergap, p.1). There are also six states that have never elected a woman to federal office, (Rothschild, p.2). They are Alaska, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Mississippi. While women represent 52 percent of the population, they represent only 21 percent in Congress. Thus it can be seen that women still have steps to take to achieve true political equality with men.
...cs should gain its value, and lastly people should vote because it is their responsibility. Moredish Conroy points out, “The traditional ruler view of women rejects the idea that femaleness and political power can coexist.” The traditional idea of what constitute leadership should be rejected. Bashevkin speaks that people must face their own internalized, often unrecognized feelings of discomfort with putting women in positions of power. This should change. Rationally, we all need to engage ourselves in politics because it contributes to our day to day activity. This book is a precondition to change because it promotes awareness by bringing change through monitoring the media, social movements, public opinions, electoral reforms, consensus building, collaboration, stronger motivation, and changing the rule of the game. This assures every citizen, every voice counts.
Today, nothing remains of the former social role of women. Nearly all professions are open to women. The numbers of women in the government and traditionally male-dominated fields have dramatically increased. More women than men earn bachelor’s degrees. Many women's groups still prevail and are major political forces. Although the two movements hoped to achieve different things and used different tactics, they still came together to gain women’s rights and have achieved more than anyone would have ever anticipated.
History has changed over the course of time for women. For centuries women were perceived to be second class citizens and submissive. As time progressed women began to challenge the notion and slowly organized to achieve equality between men and women. The struggle for women’s equality during the 19th century started out terrible, but continues to improve over time. In order to understand the events that took place during the 20th century in the struggle for equality, we have to understand past events that shape the same dynamics. In the course of both centuries, includes changes in how women were represented economically, politically, and socially. Only after decades of intense political activity did women eventually win the right to vote
McGlen, Nancy E., and Karen O'Connor. Women, Politics, and Society. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998.
It is important for the region to increase the political participation and access of women. Increasing political participation in democratic countries will increase and strengthen the legitimacy of the government. (Desposato et al., pg. 160) There are many factors that contribute to the unequal participation in politics seen throughout the region. Studies have shown that more educated people are more likely to participate in politics. With this in mind, increasing access to education for girls in the region should lead to an increase in political participation. However, in the last decade, much has been done to increase girl’s access to education. (Desposato...
Feminism, the theory of the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, is a topic today either accepted by many or rejected in a newer version (Mainstream post-feminism). Whether a feminist or not, looking at the number of women involved in Canadian politics it is obvious that equality has not reached this work field, where Canada ranks 63rd in terms of female politicians in the world. Many barriers are stopping women from participating in politics, even in 2016. From having self-doubt in the skills needed in politics, to a culture portraying the “traditional” role of woman as the housewife, Canadian women need to be shown that in today’s society these barriers can be overcome and they can make a difference in their communities as
The underrepresentation of female’s interests and values is a global phenomenon as there is no country where women are equally represented on all levels of government. Since most women in the Western World gained the right to vote, there is no area of human life or development sector which is immune from the impact of inequitable gender relations. The central thesis of this paper is that women’s underrepresentation in elected office creates serious problems. This paper begins by analysing the key barriers of women to get into politics, especially into leading positions. It will then go on to the argument that women have special interests and needs, and that male politicians cannot represent those concerns adequately. Additionally, this paper describes further problems in today’s political world, such as women’s identification with
This phenomenon can be explained with feminist theories which focuses on inequality of power between men and women in terms of unequal distribution of political power. The best example of this inequality are numbers that speak for themselves. The US has never had a women president in the history, and even though women comprise majority of U.S population, their number in political offices are significantly lower than men. The reason behind underrepresentation of women in politics lies in the notion that women are not strong enough to hold a powerful position. Because of women 's underrepresentation a lot of men’s issues and policies are over-emphasized, while women’s concerns remain unattended. However, women’s concerns and policies often don’t just affect women, but the entire families. For instance, the issue of child care or maternal leave. In many families, one parent (in most cases women) is forced to leave the job and take care of a child due to the lack of childcare, or very short maternal leave. Strengthening women’s right and addressing barriers to political participation are critical to achieving gender equality and women empowerment. I believe that the issue of low number of women in politics is just a fragment of a much larger issue of inequality relating to political, economic, and social status. Some of the solutions to the problem include increasing women participation and leadership in civil society by providing skill building and leadership training for women. Women should join activists groups advocating for women’s right and equality on many different platforms. Equal pay, equal access to certain job positions would also facilitate equality that would increase the number of women in political positions. Most importantly, more women should vote since we create the majority of US population, and if women unite and vote they will have a
Lawless, Jennifer L. and Fox, Richard L. ”Men Rule: The Continued Under-Representation of Women in U.S. Politics. Women and Politics Institute. 2012 Washington, D.C.
girls in the class did not. They perceived being a Scientist as a mans job. As
Now in our society, women are always involved in many important events or issues. As we can see on the news that there are many women joining global decision making conference, for example, Global Health Conference, The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, etc. Women can make decision and the representative for the country. Just like Michelle Obama, The First Lady of United State, she can follow Obama to nearly all of the business trip or conference trip. She can talk to the First Lady in that country or the resident of that city. She can really help her husband and improve the image of the country. Not only United State, many president from other countries would like to bring their wife with him and help him out, this can make the world also concern more about It means that women is getting more and more powerful in the world, even can make decision and lead the world different. All the reading materials in our class show that women have power, but most of them still need to rely on men, women can now be independent. From the first material The Epic of Gilgamesh to Inferno, women’s power and roles is getting stronger and more important.
Women’s underrepresentation in politics has been an ongoing issue in the todays world. Feminism is one the main reasons women can get an education. However, with more women likely to be enrolled in college than men, there is still a continued underrepresentation of women in leadership roles throughout the society (McKenna 2007, 7). The inequality has lead women into stepping back and not considering much for themselves. There are many reasons behind the underrepresentation that women hold in politics. Since the early times, women have been told to be stay at home moms, do the cooking, the cleaning, care for the elders and the children. Women are expected to be caring wives and moms, delicate and quiet. They are not seen to be powerful, independent and strong. Women will feel less inclined to consider the idea of running for office until someone suggests it to them; even at that point the thought of not being qualified enough will cross their minds (Why Aren’t There
and political spheres and improving women’s access to education, nutrition, health care, and basic human rights (Mooney 338).