Importance of women's political empowerement - Gurmai Zita

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Brigita Schmögnerová Importance of women's political empowerment Women’s voice to be heard Introduction Women in the CEE have been disproportionally affected by the neoliberal transition and reforms and recently by the financial and economic crisis. Market fundamentalism which was embedded in the transition blueprint and in the follow-up neoliberal reforms including pension reforms, tax reforms, social security reforms, labour reforms, etc. have proved to have more negative consequences on women than men. Our society is in a significant crisis of solidarity. Neoliberalism ignores inequalities generated by the market incl. gender inequalities; it ignores growth of poverty, unemployment or exploitation. In most cases women are more often victims of it than men. The financial and economic crisis at the beginning seemed to be friendlier to women than to men. Fewer women lost jobs than men as more women work in the public sector: in education, health, caring, etc. i.e. sectors less affected by the crisis at its early stage. However measures like fiscal stimulus, the bail-out of the banking sector implemented to tackle the crisis were far from gender sensitive. Labour reforms as a part of the crisis response lowered wages, offered more precarious jobs, lowered worker’s protection. They have had more important impact on women than on men as women have always been more ready to take less paid and less protected jobs. Debt crisis and austerity measures implemented to reduce budget deficits lead to lower expenditure in the health sector, caring, education sector, lower social allowances, etc. By these measures women are affected twice: as public sector workers and as primarily responsible for time-consuming child care, elderly care and sick care. It is very likely women will have less and less energy and capacity to progress in their careers and to be involved in public affairs. Life in Transition Survey, EBRD, 2011 shows that after 1989 women’s representation in parliaments decreased and is lower than before 1989. While the overall percentages of membership of men and women in political parties are small, fewer women than men are members of political parties or have participated in political activities such as attending demonstrations, participating in strikes or signing petitions. The survey adds that due to the fact that women’s membership in trade unions and NGOs is low it is also an indication of women’s low rate of participation in public life. 75
76 Women’s voice to be heard The following paragraphs put forward some recommendations on how to improve low participation of women in politics. Active participation of women in politics in 4 steps In order a voice of women to be heard women must talk. Therefore following two steps are recommended: Step 1. Keep talking on women’s issues. Insist that all reforms, austerity measures, budget preparation (at all levels), etc. should be subject to Gender Impact Analysis. Formulate your requirements, objections, etc. Step 2. Move on from talking on women’s issues to talking on more general issues. Be a part of debates on all important financial, economic, social, etc. issues as appropriate. Step 3. Progress from a talking role to a check and balance role holding governments at all levels and politicians accountable. Step 4. Move on from a check and balance role to a leading role. Crisis of representative democracy: a new opportunity for women? Low turn-outs in local, regional, national and European elections in most CEE countries in recent years illustrate a decline of trust in elected politicians and governments. The birth of massive social movements like OWS in the USA, social movements in Spain, Greece, Italy, etc. but also growing number of industrial actions in CEE, 99% movements, etc. indicate people’s dissatisfaction with representative democracies. Call for more participative democracy or direct democracy at all levels incl. local level is a new opportunity for women’s voice to be heard. In most of social movements a hierarchical structure is non-existent. Therefore women need not be intimidated by power plays typical for well structured organisations or “men’s organisations”. Their participation in social movements could be an excellent learning opportunity and an occasion for increasing their chances for future leadership roles. What women bring into the world of politics While we all agree that women’s equal participation in the world of politics is their political right, as well as women’s rights are human rights, etc. At the same time I believe that women have a mission in life. Therefore I believe that if women fail to bring into the world of politics new values, goals and ways how to achieve them, they will fail their mission. In the period of the crisis of solidarity women should bring into the world of politics solidarity as one of the key social-democratic values. No objection is to professionalism which must women
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4 Contents Rovana PLUMB Importance
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Daša Šašić Šilović Foreword o
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Zita Gurmai Member of the European
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12 Foreword of the publisher backla
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Besima Boric Importance of women's
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Sylvie Guillaume Women’s empowerm
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Page 32: Edit Herczog Member of the European
Page 35 and 36: 34 Political empowerment of women t
Page 38 and 39: Mija Javornik Importance of women's
Page 44 and 45: Sonja Lokar Importance of women's p
Page 48: Sanja Major Adviser, City Office fo
Page 51 and 52: 50 Being a young woman in Croatia t
Page 54 and 55: Thomas Maes Importance of women's p
Page 60 and 61: Kaysa Penny Importance of women's p
Page 62: Rovana Plumb Member of the European
Page 65 and 66: 64 Importance of women's political
Page 68: Professor Dr.h.c.Christa Randzio-Pl
Page 71 and 72: 70 Women in Politics political solu
Page 74: Brigita Schmögnerová former Vice
Page 80: Judit Tánczos Policy Advisor, Foun
Page 83 and 84: 82 Forever assistants? Challenges o
Page 86: Patrizia Toia Member of the Europea
Page 89 and 90: 88 Greater equality for all If we a
Page 92: Britta Thomsen Member of the Europe
Page 95 and 96: 94 The importance of political empo
Page 98 and 99: Attila Benedek - Márta Bonifert Im
Page 102 and 103: Closing remarks Importance of women
Page 104 and 105: Annex Importance of women's politic
Page 106 and 107: Dan JØRGENSEN Denmark Socialdemokr
Page 108 and 109: António Fernando CORREIA DE CAMPOS
Page 110 and 111: Richard HOWITT United Kingdom Labou
Page 114 and 115: Annex II Charts and figures Women i
Page 118 and 119: Republic of Korea Importance of wom
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Gender quotas in the EU Source: Der
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CEE Network for Gender Issues The C
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