Women in Politics (800 words) $10
Even though in the last few decades women have made great strides in gaining a descriptive representation. In countries where women are well-represented in politics thee exist more pro-women policies. For instance, governments such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have the highest levels of representation which have been expanded through policies which address the conflicts which arise in female roles such as work and childbearing. In Canada, women have made many breakthroughs in the past century. It is now possible for women to participate in voting and participate in the election. For instance, in 1993 Catherine Callbeck was elected the female premier, and in the same year, Campbell was elected the first prime minister in Canada.
The various achievements made by governments where women participation showcases how an increased women representation could generate gains in the government response to the needs of women.
To achieve a goal of equal participation of both men and women in making political decisions would be crucial in creating a balance which reflects the societal composition in a more accurate manner. That would be important in that it would aid in strengthening and promoting democracy and proper functioning. It would be impossible to achieve the goals of equality, development, and peace among citizens if there is no active participation and incorporation of women’s perspectives in all decision-making levels. This paper seeks to discuss the topic of women politics and analyse the impact of “defined norms” in the realm of politics.
Women take more than half of the world population and yet they occupy almost a quarter of the world’s electorate. In 2014, the average rate of women representation constituted eighteen per cent of the global population. In Canada, the journey towards equality in political representation has not been easy; instead, it has been slow, long, and uneven. At the federal level, 2018 Canada has ranked 60th with a 27% women representation yet ten years ago they were ranked 40th internationally which is a clear indication that the country lags. Countries should take the necessary measures which would help enhance the status and the visibility of women which is essential in creating sustainable progress against several human development indicators. This is because women are vulnerable to both social and economic marginalization in cases where resources are scarce considering that they are essential agents in development processes.
Research shows that development in most countries is hampered due to limited women participation in the traditional male-dominated positions of power. Countless studies have demonstrated the importance of empowering women as developmental tools. Women play a vital social and economic role. There is a considerable correlation between the two areas considering that nutrition and child health fall among women’s primary roles in household decisions. When women are raised and educated just like other kids, they stand a chance to raise confident children and make decisive engagements with the community lives. Enhancing women decision-making capacity is vital in reducing gender discrimination and promoting female empowerment in both social and political spheres.
Additionally, enhanced gender equality in the political realm would have positive implications against all milestones in social progress. Democracy can only take true and dynamic significance when both men and women can jointly decide on political parties and national legislatures. Having both men and women involved in decision making the interests and aptitudes of the two halves of the population would be well taken care of. While there exists no fixed definition of the term democracy, two fundamental principles should be included in the functional analysis. One fundamental principle is that all the members of society ought to have the same access to power. Secondly, all members must enjoy all the recognized freedoms and liberties. Observing the statistics, it is clear that in Canada women do not have easy access to various structures of power. The general historical constructions of gender persistently disable their entry into public spaces. They are created and perpetuated by various institutions such as family, religion, and the state; however, the same institutions which created the imbalance may be in a position to repair it.
Moreover, women visibility should be increased because all the policy decisions affect both men and women and might affect women differently. Women participation in politics would help in making policy decisions which are considerate of all genders. The persistent exclusion of women from decision making substantially hampers the achievement of women transformation, transformation in democracy, and attaining sustainable development. Legal systems should be strengthened in an attempt to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Also, allowing women to participate in the political realm would positively impact on social behaviours in that women are the drivers of both social and economic changes. It would change the societal attitudes and community practices through active participation between the two genders.