Equal representation

This feels a bit like ‘old news’ but in the land of uber-misogyny that is UK politics, it never gets completely resolved.

It is not just the lack of opportunity to stand for election that women are faced with, nor is it just the rigid macho style of adversarial party politics, but it is the relentless moaning, groaning and criticism that women politicians are faced with which must deter many capable women of all shades of political opinion.

Clinton is an excellent case study in this regard. During her presidential campaign, her every move, word and outfit was poured over in minute detail almost all of it from a sexist commentariat more concerned with slapping down uppity women than analysing her policies. The ever dependable Robin Morgan sums it up in her article for Women’s Media Centre:

“When a sexist idiot screamed “Iron my shirt!” at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted “Shine my shoes!” at BO, it would’ve inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.”

http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

More locally, in Edinburgh East, the Labour incumbent is retiring at the next Westminster election and Labour has proposed an all women shortlist. This has caused a depressingly familiar reaction amongst some in the male Scottish and otherwise attempting-to-be-fair-and-balanced (in their ain heids) blogosphere and I’m not going to credit any with links because of their persistent lack of gender awareness.

“In Edinburgh, women activists are pressing their case, circulating a document showing that only one of the 18 Labour MPs in the capital since 1918 has been a woman – Lynda Clark, who represented Edinburgh Pentlands between 1997 and 2005.”

http://news.scotsman.com/scottishlabourparty/39Women-only39-call-to-Labour.4493769.jp

To call that a shocking democratic deficit doesn’t begin to articulate the impediments facing aspiring women in that party. Not that many other large parties are substantially better in representation. Until people understand that the lack of women’s representation is a waste of talent and a neglect of women’s voices nothing will particularly change. If you feel able to, simply take a look at the frothing at the mouth comments below that Scotsperson article for a sadly all too common spewing of misogyny.

This attitude affects many males and irritatingly, a fair amount of women across the political spectrum. Some exception is discernible in smaller parties such as the Greens and the Scottish Socialists.

http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/stories/womenspace.html

http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/site/5335/Women_s_Network.html

The SNP, however are not notably au fait with feminism and a cursory exploration of their (not very user-friendly website) did not produce any signs of a women’s section although there is a youth section. The article below I think is representative of their benign indifference to equal representation. That said, they have always had high profile women politicians and the deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon, is female.

http://www.snp.org/node/8725

And the Tories – aw, bless!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4969398.ece

Engender has long campaigned for equal representation. Their website contains a comprehensive article on the issue.
http://www.engender.org.uk/projects/38/Power_and_Participation.html