The Lack of Women in Politics

There are many issues within the political field, however one is significantly forgotten about – the gender gap. Only 23% of politicians in the world are women. The percentage for women of colour being even lower. Why is this?

Over the last couple of decades, the numbers of women working in the government have shot up, there are currently 225 female MPs in the house of commons, however this is still only 35%. In February 2022, only 10 women served as head of state and 14 as head of government.

Whilst more women are getting involved in politics, they are still underrepresented, especially in terms of women of colour. Out of the 225 female MPs, only 37 are women of colour. Seeing such little diversity and representation is worrying, especially as a young Asian female, hoping to be one of those people one day.

When decisions regarding our country and government are made by mostly rich white males, are we really going to move forward as a whole, as well as tackle issues such as racism?

You may argue that at least numbers of women and ethnic minorities are increasing, however the treatment of these people is shocking. Whether it be micro-aggressions or snarky comments, women are not treated with the same respect and basic human decency that men are.

When speaking to MP Sarah Owen, she explained how when she was younger, she felt that she had to prove herself to a group of men. Just because she was of a different age or of a different race. Sarah was judged and therefore what she had to say was meaningless, they would speak over her and other MPs would converse with one another, yet when a man spoke, it was silent. Whether it’s disregarding what they have to say or talking over them, people in a male dominated industry, like politics, don’t give females the same respect as they do to older, white males.

“In the chamber, when a woman speaks, particularly with my younger ethnic minority colleagues who are women, the guys start chattering, they don’t listen… then you’ll see a guy get up, who asks the same question, and they’re silent.” – Sarah Owen (MP)

When a female overcomes the stigma within gender inequality in the government, they are forced to deal with cruel repercussions. Why is it that they are treated so differently to men? For years, politics has been ‘a man’s world’, so when women decide to get involved, they are subject to prejudice and feel they must work twice as hard to be recognised or consider when compared to their male counterparts.

Another issue for females in politics is the sexualisation and objectification that they often face. In November to December 2019, Jo Swinson travelled the UK, promoting her campaign, the seventh most common Google search following her name was ‘boobs’. The eleventh being ‘Jo Swinson hot’. Other common searches included: ‘Jo Swinson sexy’ and ‘Jo Swinson cleavage’. On the other hand, her male competition received popular searches regarding their private lives and family. The second most popular search being, ‘Boris Johnson children’, with almost no results concerning his physical appearance.

Women in government tend to have their whole lives picked apart by the media, therefore facing unnecessary scrutiny regarding their private lives. Whether it be what they wear or their romantic relationships, people almost always find something to negatively comment on. Politicians who also happen to be mothers are subject to their lives being analysed. If they focus on their child, they can’t be any good at their job or are ‘distracted’, however if they are seen to work hard, they are a bad mother. Men on the other hand don’t have to conform to these double standards.

You may have seen that Deputy Labour Leader, Angela Rayner, is currently receiving support from her colleagues of all parties after a severely misogynistic article was published in reference to her. Written by an anonymous Conservative MP, they compare her to a scene from ‘Basic Instinct’ and explain how Rayner “mischievously” tries to distract Boris Johnson at PMQs by crossing and uncrossing her legs. Yet again, a worrying example of the sexualisation of women in politics. This time by one of her own colleagues. Angela responded: “Women in politics face sexism and misogyny every day - and I’m no different.”

Sarah Owen describes how when she was 8 months pregnant, a journalist asked her, ‘so you’re gonna go off on maternity, how are people going to get proper representation?’

After explaining her plan and the fact that there would be little to no change, he replies, ‘yeah but baby is always gonna come first,’ and muted her microphone, stopping her from replying. This explicitly shows just how women are treated in regards to motherhood and their personal lives – even if they are made to explain themselves.

The upsetting treatment of women isn’t just limited to parliamentary positions, Victoria Oguntope explained how working in Dartford Borough Council can be hard as a young black woman. “Some of my colleagues openly show distaste and looked astonished at the mere sight of me occupying the same space as they are. It’s an uncomfortable environment.”

She added: “It’s worth mentioning the council’s dismissal to acknowledge or to celebrate black history month. Equality report is due to be produced later this year pertaining to our locality - I’m sure it would make for an interesting read.” – Victoria Oguntope (Councillor)

The blatant sexism isn’t the only issue. Male MPs earn an average of 10.4% more than their female counterparts.

Research shows that the underrepresentation of females in politics stems from:

- Confidence: the fact that women tend to struggle with self-doubt more than their male colleagues.

- Culture: politics is so male dominated that sexism and threats are almost guaranteed. Women are mistreated due to this.

- Money: females often receive less funding than their male equivalents.

When I discuss these issues within the government, people often say to me, ‘this doesn’t affect me so why should I care?’ and that shows just how much of a problem this is. It does affect you. Whether you care about politics or not, this affects you.

Frances Scott founded ‘50:50 Parliament’, a British cross-party campaign calling for gender equality in politics, she explains just how important diversity is for everyone, not just minorities. She has said: “Diversity leads to better decision-making, and, as Christine Lagarde said, it leads to less risky decision-making. In her opinion, there might not have been a financial crisis if we'd had more women on boards.”

Diversity benefits everyone.

“We are facing some of the biggest challenges that humanity has had to deal with, and half of humanity are women – we need to be involved in planning the future.” – Frances Scott

So how can we combat these issues?

- Invest in women, teach them from a young age to get involved and speak up.

- Ensure diversity within candidate selection.

- Create a safe space for females with zero tolerance for sexism/racism. Establish a clear complaints channel.

- Provide equal pay for all.

- Offer childcare facilities for mothers.

- Give women the same opportunities as men. Diminish the stigma around gender vs performance.

Despite the worrying statistics, some places are beginning to focus on gender equality. For example, in Ireland, parties lose 50% of their funding if their candidate pool includes less than 30% of either gender. Whilst the lack of diversity is prominent, I am hopeful that change is inevitable.

No matter your gender or race, we must work together to allow equality and diversity within our government. Women must be encouraged and empowered to allow the same opportunities, helping them to become valued members in the political field. Representation allows us to better our country.