Feminism
Politicization of the sex-class identity
Gender
Oppression
Political
Resources
Education, & Interest
Economic
&
Political
1929 JCPC reversed Supreme Courts decision
1927 “Person’s Case” Senate appointments
1866 British MP John Stuart Mill women the
1921 Agnes Macphail 1st electedpetitionedMP Parl.
Nat. UK to grant Women Voters was
1920 of the League of suffrage to women created
1830s- 1860s Movement to abolish slavery
Universal Suffrage vote
1921 Federal Election
1800s Organized women’s rights movement
“No room at the top”
In 1990:
only 3.5% of the world’s cabinet
ministers were women
women held no ministerial
positions in 93 countries
women were completely absent from the four highest
levels in government in 50 countries: 5 in the group
of Western European states; 16 in Asia and the
Pacific; 8 in Latin America and the Caribbean; 21 in
Africa
women occupied less than 5% of the top positions in
international organizations, including the UN and the
European Community
only a handful of women served as finance ministers
(Bhutan, Finland, New Zealand, San Marino, Taiwan)
entering the polling booth
Occupying highest offices of the state
Gro Harlem Brundtland Indira Ghandi
Twice Prime Minister Prime Minister of
of Norway in the 1980s India, 1966-77
Margaret Thatcher
Prime Minister of
Britain, 1979- 1990
1830s- 1860s Movement to Abolish Slavery
“The first organized
movement for women’s rights
came form the movement to
abolish slavery.
….. women’s rights
organizers broke down many
conventional barriers to the
public participation of black
people and women.”
Rowbotham (1992)
Political Participation
Substantial growth for women?
Women’s lack of direct participation
in top-level policy-making
ETHNICITY
FINANCES
ORGANIZATION
TRADITION
Different
Ideologies Different
Strategic
Measures
Different
Political
Goals
1869 J.S. Mill Published
On the Subjection of Women
PRIVATE SPHERE
Pursuit of the
franchise
legal rights
PUBLIC SPHERE
LEGAL ACCESS TO
RIGHTS EDUCATION
Private, political
& economic sphere
PUBLIC SPHERE
PRIVATE SPHERE
Sacrifice?
Who occupies the private sphere? ?
1988 - Supreme court confirmed abortion
laws unconstitutional
1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1970s and 1980s women entered universities
and work force in increasing numbers
“happy-housewife” Betty The Feminine
myth Friedan Mystique
1960s Powerful emergence of Liberal Feminism
Gloria Naomi Wolf
Steinem
KATE MILLET
The electoral gap in the
US has been shown to be
critical to the success of
the Democratic Party and
to the nomination and
election of some women
candidates.
Largest & most activist women’s mvt in the world
1992: outgoing Congress had only 6.4% women
members incoming =11% in House, 7% in Senate.
structural reforms
WILL WOMEN SHARING POLITICAL POWER
EQUALLY WITH MEN
CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE?
& Political Leadership
Studies indicate that a ‘critical mass’ of from 30-
35%
inclusion of women in political leadership and gov’t is
needed to affect public policies.
Women should not settle for an in-name-only
share
of leadership…should use their positions to campaign
for specific party commitments to the nomination,
election and appt = # of men and women to national
office, parls, cabs, courts, regional and st. legs,
commissions, advisory groups.
Parties and women’s orgs should seek out
potential
women candidates for political office and provide
them with training in pol. and ldsp skills, funding and
“Good Wives & Wise Mothers”
$
TRADITION
?
?
Biased Work force
Deeply rooted Traditions
Choices?
April 10, 1946
Japan’s first VOTE
“all person’s” election
Radical Reform Liberal Feminism
Marxist Feminism
CYBER-FEMINISM