This
is a topic of a book about women and politics by Ruth and Simon Henig. It is
more a collection of essays that catalogue women’s participation in the
political sphere in Europe since 1945.
It
is an important area for those who value the contribution of women to all
aspects of society and it is also important to understand what has gone on
before.
If
nothing else, ‘Women and Political Power in Europe since 1945’ is a look at the
state of play of who gets to take part in the decision making in society. It
may just look at Europe but it acts as a history lesson and example to
benchmark our experience in Australia. It teases out the themes that can aid us
in our discussion in how we can make the Australian political scene as well as
it’s Civil Society more inclusive and representative.
After
all women make up roughly half the population so why should our
parliamentarians and political elite be already privileged white males? As
Henig and Henig cite an American Study that argues that, ‘though 99.5% of the
women in the world are legally entitled to participate in the political
process, the numbers of women in public office remain in most countries
appallingly low’. (2001, 2)
Political
agendas as defined by men (ibid) and unequal divisions of domestic
responsibilities both play a part in limiting the number of women in public
life.
While
this book briefly touches on these barriers, what I found especially
interesting is the explanation of the parallels between the second wave of
feminism, the Green Movement (including the Anti-nuclear protests) and the rise
of women participating in mainstream politics.
What
I found useful was the discussion about the effect of women’s organisations on
the level of female participation in politics. More common in 1970s and 1980s,
women’s groups as part of mainstream political parties grew in an attempt to
increase female participation and to appeal to women voters.
The
question was asked, is it more effective to outside the tent or within it? Henig
and Henig seem to argue that women’s voting habits transcend gender and
individual’s decision to caste their ballot is based on other variables, making
special women’s parties and lists ineffective.
An
alternative to these special parties that was discussed were the women’s
factions within mainstream political parties. There was some debate in regards
to the effective of this strategy and whether having a female only section
really increased participation in the wider organisation. Henig and Henig state
that ‘not all authors have viewed party women’s organisations in such a
positive light. Specifically, such groups have been criticised for women away
from mainstream party structures, thereby exacerbating the isolation of women,
and for concentrating on social activities rather than political (2000, page
45).
It seemed that the key was to empower women to contribute in the
mainstream parts as equals with men rather than relegating them to a separate
section. Of course there are issues that prevent them from doing this but the
effort should be spent reducing these barriers.
This
book did make me think about the ways that institutions can be more inclusive
of women as well as other minority groups. It makes me look more closely at
strategies that try to increase participation and be more critical about
tokenistic programmes and empty rhetoric. It is one thing try and increase
participation in politics, etc. but it is pointless unless individuals have the
agency to actually make a difference.
The
discussions around how to do this is complex and is worthy for a much longer
book but Ruth Henig and Simon Henig’s Women and Political Power was an
interesting read despite it written over a decade ago. I’m much more
appreciative about what feminists have done before and its inspired me to continue
to be part of the movement. I’ve learnt
the importance of being inside the metaphorical tent rather than loitering in
the foyer or outside in the shadows because more can be done this way.
Henig,
R. and Henig, S. Women and Political Power: Europe since 1945 (Routledge,
London: 2001)
