Motherless World: Few Women In Politics

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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Although women are considered mothers of the world, the world can politically be considered as a motherless state. For a number of centuries, women have been fighting for a chance to be represented in politics but it all seems an uphill battle, despite the fact that in most countries, women make majority of voters. There are handfuls of women like Margaret Thatcher of Britain, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Rodham Clinton, and others who have stamped their authority and led their countries to great political, social, and economical development but they have not inspired other women to strive for their political rights. In most countries, women still remain largely under-represented in political landscape. Male dominated political elite have nipped in the bud ambitions by women who are determined to defy the odd and make it as political equals. However, the problem of women under-presentation in politics is complex and need to be analyzed in deeper lenses. Politics require commitment and while most men in politics leave their families under the care of their wives while they pursue their political career, women have no only ...
... to leave their families to pursue political careers (Roskin, 2009). At the same time, research shows that women suffer from confidence crises such that when one woman stands up for political candidacy, even fellow women do not show confidence in women candidates. In a way, it appears women may cry foul of under-representation in politics but also appear to be enemies of their own situation. Political success is earned and not given on a silver platter, except in monarchial systems. Considering that very few countries today maintain intact monarchial systems, women have to come out and fight for political representation. Time has come when women change their perception from being perceived as minorities to stamp their authority in political scenes. If Margaret Thatcher and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf could make it, every other woman can make it in politics. However, this will take efforts of the whole society, and especially women, to show others they can take the society to the same level of success like men.
Historically, women have been under-represented in politics in the whole world. Although Western societies recorded political, social, and economic development earlier compared to other societies, women under-representation in politics still remain a major issue (Silverberg, 1998). Women under-representation in politics has been attributed to different factors among them societal construction of place of women in the society that does not extend beyond the kitchen. In reality, even in the Western societies, it has taken great deal of efforts to change societal perception of the role of women. Societal construction of the place of women in the society has been embedded in different aspects from the media, workplace, and even in normal life in the society. The media, which is one of the most influential institutions in the society, has always constructed women around the kitchen (Roskin, 2009). Women have for long being used to advertise products that are used in the kitchen or housekeeping while men have been used in advertising products related to business, politics, industries, and others. In reality, this construction infiltrate to normal practices in the society and women are therefore perceived as better candidates for “kitchen politics” rather than real politics. The notion of women being not equal to men in politics is prevalent in all societies.
There are few women who have however made a mark in the political scene. They have been politically elected to head states and governments. Among the most prominent women who have made it in political scene include Indira Gandhi who became the Prime Minster of India, Margaret Thatch who was Prime Minster of United Kingdom, Golda Meir who became Prime Minister of Israel, Angela Markel who is the current Chancellor of Germany, Kim Campbell who was the Prime Minster of Canada, Edith Cresson who was a Prime Minster of France, Pratibha Patil who was the President of India, Soong Ching-ling who was the President of the People’s Republic of China, Dictator Jiang Qing who was the Direct of Cultural Revolution, and many others (Silverberg, 1998). These are just few of the women who have really struggled to make political impact in their societies. They have endured a lot to reach to the position they have reached.
Apart from the monarchs, the first women to hold state position came from socialist countries rather the expected democratic countries. Between 1940 and 1944, Khertek Anchimaa-Toka became the first woman to hold state position in the Tuvan People’s Republic and was later followed by Sukhbaatryn Yanjimaa in the Mongolian People’s Repulbics between 1953 and1954. Soong Ching-ling held a state position in the People’s Republic of China between 1968 and 1972 and later in 1981 (Silverberg, 1998). This means that participation of women in politics is not linked to democracy as has been advocated by most people. Democratic nations are thought to advance democratic rights to all people, which mean women are likely to find it easy to venture into politics in such countries compared to socialist countries (Palmer & Simon, 2008). However, this has not been the case as the evidence above clearly shows that the socialist’s states were more tolerance of rule of women compared to democratic countries. After the socialist states, a new breed of women leaders who held state positions came in Nordic countries. They were forerunning in inclusion of men in the executive branch and no wonder Nordic countries are today considered most stable states in the world. Between 1986 and 1986, history was made when the second cabinet Brundtland had 8 out of 18 members being women. This was repeated again in 2007 when more than 50% of second cabinet Stonltenberg were women (McDonagh, 2009). Nordic countries today retain a high percentage of women in their state office compared to United States. Some of the current female politicians who have made it to the top position n the Nordic countries include the President of Finland, Tarja Halone and Maud Olofsson, who is the current Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden.

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