Eurobarometer recently did a Flash survey on Women and Politics in the EU. It found that 79% of Irish Women and 78% of women in the United Kingdom think that politics is male dominated.
One needs only look at the Leaders of the European Parliamentary Groups to see this, let alone National Parliaments. Only three European Parliamentary Groups have female co-leaders, not a single European Parliamentary Group have a female leader. The groups with female co-leaders are the Union for Europe of the Nations, with Cristiana Muscardini (Italy), the European Greens - European Free Alliance, with Monica Frassoni (Italy), and the Independence/Democracy, with Kathy Sinnot (Ireland) .These three women are at the European Parliamentary glass ceiling for women it would seam.
So how are we to increase women’s participation in politics? Only 6% of Irish women are in favour of a mandatory quota’s, something which the Irish Labour Party want to do, and only 4% of British women are in favour of mandatory quotas. Across the EU-27 10% of women support mandatory quotas. 69% of Irish women and 65% of British women think encouragement is the way to go to get women involved in politics. The EU average for that is 53%, so Irish and British women must not need a lot of encouragement to get involved in politics in comparison to women in other EU Member States .
52% of Irish women and 45% of British women are positive about how the the European Parliament represents them, this compares with 39% across the EU-27. Showing they feel the European Parliament is some way in touch with what women want. Though they need to work a bit harder.
So what do women want from the European Parliament? Well Irish women want it to focus on better day care services, tackling violence against women and bringing an end to the trafficking of women. British women want the European Parliament to guarantee equal pay for equal work, promote day care facilities for children, include child-minding years as pensionable years and combat violence towards women. These are areas where the European Parliament does have scope to act or to influence.
So thanks to a Eurobarometer MEP’s know what women want, unlike the rest of us.
Hattip to @EoinRyanMEP for putting the link on twitter. Full Eurobarometer Results (PDF)
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It’s defintiely interesting that women are not very keen on mandatory quotas. And it would be a good further question to ask how they imagine encouragment. I think quota can be also seen as an “encouragment”-if not directly for women, it’s at least a good engine for political parties. I do not believe that only simple encouragment in a sense: “you should be a candidate because you are capable/good in politics” is enough. I am sure that institutionalized mechanisms should be introduced and this would consequently lead into more confident female politicians. Btw, I have just read a book on ex-Yugoslavia, and the author claims that Croatia on republican level had a first female “prime minister” (not on a whole state, but only republican level) in Europe in the end of 60’s, beginning of 70’s (Savka Dabčević-Kučar). That’s just if someone is interested :)))…
While I see your point on encouragement, quota’s wont work for one simple reason. Women don’t vote for women. Also a reason it won’t work in Ireland is the Electoral System which is PRSTV system which could lead to “token” candidates who have no hope of being elected.
While I am sure there are other ways of encouraging women, no one seams to know the best way, so I think they should ask your follow up question.
Wow, I never knew that about Savka Dabčević-Kučar, so Thank you!
yeah, that’s also very true about women not voting for women. On slo tv the female candidates for MEP in EP on a question: why none of you is a “carrier” of the candidate list, answered stg like: well, we are still not there, but slowly approaching…(don’t know really where :)))but then at the same time I guess female politicians that successfully entered into politics and that also successfully lead it (e.g. we have now few female ministers and this can be a good step towards mentality changes)can be a very good stimulus and example…
I am just thinking what was a trick in Scandinavian countries…Do you have maybe an insight into their strategy of dealing with the issue?
I am hoping, like you Tanja that female Ministers and Prime Ministers which change maybe how women vote.
As for Scandinavian Countries, I dont have much of an insight into it I’m afraid.
I’ve read and reread the eurobarometer report and I can’t make out how you reached the conclusion that only 6% of Irish women are in favour of a mandatory quota
I got it from the country Scorecard.
Ireland: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/eurobarometre/european_women/fiches_pays/fl266_scorecard_v5-4_ie-en.pdf
UK: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/eurobarometre/european_women/fiches_pays/fl266_scorecard_v5-4_ie-en.pdf
Ok thanks for giving me that link
I’m sorry to be pedantic here Stephen but when you say that “only 6% of Irish women are in favour of mandatory gender quotas” thats not really accurate.
The question that was asked was “If we should increase the proportion of women MEPs what would be the most effective way?” NOT “Are you in favour of mandatory gender quotas” - what this question tells us is that 6% of Irish women feel mandatory gender quotas are the most effective way of increasing the proportion of women MEPs. You simply can’t suggest or deduce or assume (as you have above) from that question that 94% of women are not in favour of mandatory gender quotas - in fact just because some women may have said there were more effective ways of increasing female representation does not mean that they are not in favour
Ian, if you read the report from the European Parliament upon which I based this post it says “Only 6% support the idea of mandatory quotas,” which is where i took my info. I did not “suggest or deduce or assume” as you suggest.
But Stephen you can see that it is not correct to say that from reading the question?
Sorry - I didn’t type that correctly - Firstly Stephen fair point - you are taking it from the EU website - my point stands though - can you not see that it is not correct to say that because the way the question is phrased?
Ha, a debate about women in politics has descended into two blokes arguing about statistics. Sorry.
As a young female European facing my working life in a world that has, yet again, seen the way men do things come unstuck, I (and hopefully many others) see an opportunity for women to take the lead in politics. Obviously there are many issues with this, and it is something that I might be writing my dissertation on.
But mainly I’d argue that being involved with politics should be about appealing to everyone, and people should be awarded their positions on merit alone. Take a look at this article I wrote for my university newspaper…
http://www.pluto-online.com/2008/11/19/can-meritocracy-bridge-the-gender-equality-gap/
@KirstyStyles I think you just highlighted in your first line why women dont involved in politics. But I agree with you totally that it should be merit and appeal, not your gender. I also agree fully with your article!
@Ian While it is not STRICTLY correct to do it, people do it, as polls infer things, even if the question was not asked directly. Everyone does it, including the Labour Party.
My two-penneth in its simplest terms: All discrimination is negative discrimination.
Hear Hear, Helena!!!