Title: Women and political representation
1Women and political representation
- From Rhetoric to Practice Investigating the gaps
between design and implementation in gender
equality policies - Giovanna Declich, ASDO
- June 3rd, 2007
2The stake (1) Effectiveness and relevance of
policies addressing the gender gap in the
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All
- WG 3/a will investigate the ways the gap between
design and implementation are created and aim at
better understanding what policy mechanisms as
well as theoretical assumptions should be
integrated in the process in order to reduce the
(gender) gap - We know all too well that the issue of Equal
Opportunities is multifaceted. It is thus
necessary to face it by the adoption of
diversified points of view and tools, both of a
scientific and a political nature.
3The stake (2) Effectiveness and relevance of
policies addressing the gender gap in the
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All
- The Equal Opportunities concept (even though we
are now specifically addressing gender) is a
complex one, referring to a manifold reality
(multiple identities, lack of common points of
reference and shared goals) - Thats why it is difficult to assess womens real
situation and advancement (the media, above all,
tend to oscillate between moments of unrestrained
optimism and the darkest pessimism) - Politics play in any case a key role. Thats the
reason behind ASDOs research and project on
women in politics.
4Two risks to be avoided, in research as in policy
design
- Confronting the obvious that doesnt change
(to cite a slogan that titled a beautiful book on
women in politics, by Italian psycho-analyst
Francesca Molfino), two specular risks have to be
avoided - Thinking we know it all
- Starting from scratch each time, wasting decades
of scientific literature and knowledge produced
by womens movements concrete action all over
the world.
5ASDOs project on women in politics
(ESF/Equal budget line)
- Duration 2 years and a half (now in second year)
- Research 1st year and throughout the project.
Research tools - Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation on 2006 Italian political elections
- Survey on political women experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Experimentation 6 micro-projects to tackle
emerging problems - Public communication and networking activities
(newsletter, seminars, public meetings etc.).
6Research outputs - 1
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- The notion of diffused vertical segregation
- Vertical segregation is a global phenomenon
- It affects every area of political, professional
and social life - It affects every level of power
7Under-representation is a global problem some
examples (Lower/single houses)
AREA AREA
Americas 20,0 Pacific 12,4
Europe (OSCE) 19,8 Arab States 9,5
Sub-Saharan Africa 17,4
Asia 16,5 World average 17,3
8More examples the paradox of G8 countries
(Lower/single houses)
COUNTRY COUNTRY
Germany 31,6 France 12,2
Canada 20,8 Russian federation 9,8
United Kingdom 19,7 Japan 9,4
Italy 17,3
United States 16,3 G8 average 17,1
9More examples European champions and poor
performers... (Lower/single houses)
COUNTRY COUNTRY
Sweden 47,3 United Kingdom 19,7
Finland 42,0 Italy 17,3
Norway 37,9 Ireland 13,3
Denmark 36,9 Greece 13,0
Spain 36,0 France 12,2
10But all countries are performing poorly at the
local level (Women mayors)
COUNTRY COUNTRY
Sweden 20,0 Greece 10,0
Norway 16,8 Italy 9,6
Spain 12,4 Denmark 9,2
Finland 10,0 Germany 5,1
11Segregation affects every area of life examples
POSITION
General directors of public health services (ITALY) 6,0
University full professors (NETHERLANDS) 9,4
Board members of largest European Union enterprises (50 largest enterprises for each of the 25 EU COUNTRIES) 3,0
Highest-level public officials (SPAIN) 4,7
High Court judges (UNITED KINGDOM) 6,5
Members of the Executive Board of the Central Bank (AUSTRIA) 6,0
Members of the Executive Board of national television networks (FRANCE) 6,2
12Segregation affects every level of power (ITALY)
POSITION
Presidents of municipal administrative sub-units 10,2
Mayors in towns with less than 500 inhabitants 11,3
Members of major trade unions regional-level secretariats 8,3
Tribunal judges (presidents) 2,7
Tribunal judges (presidents of division) 16,5
Head physicians in hospital wards 10,8
Newspapers managing editors 7,7
13Research outputs - 2
- A taxonomy of factors affecting womens success
in politics (all crucial) - Diffused vertical segregation
- Discordance in the exercise of political power
- Lack of mobilization
- Material constraints
- Normative and behavioral inertia
- Biographical tangles
- Ambiguity of public opinion
- Irresolution and lack of empowerment
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
14Research outputs - 3
- Questions we asked ourselves at this point
- Why women are so few even in countries where
cultural attitudes favor gender equality? - Why do they face so many obstacles, leading to
their virtual exclusion? - A lack of socialization of gender in the public
sphere? - How do women react to this social void?
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
15Research outputs - 4
- Differences among women
- Two different sources (268 local-level political
and trade union women activists 94
national-level political and trade union women
representatives) - The weight of objective factors
- Womens reactions and subjective attitudes
- The success-failure variable
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
16The weight of obstacle factors
17Research outputs - 5
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Different types of reactions
- Perceiving diversity
- Sociopoietic effort
- Personal life choices
- Preferred solutions
18Research outputs - 6
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Perceiving diversity
- Feeling extraneous
- Critical approach
- Constructive approach
19Research outputs - 7
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Sociopoietic effort
- Belief in the added value of women in politics
- Public negotiation
- Private negotiation
20Research outputs 8
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Personal life choices
- Political dynamism
- Care
- Other dimensions in life
21Research outputs - 9
- Statistical data collection
- Review of previous studies
- Observation of 2006 Italian elections
- Survey on political womens experience and
attitudes - Observation of experimental micro-projects
- Preferred solutions
- Institutional approach
- Collective approach
- Individual approach
22Research outputs - 10
- Different attitudes produce different degrees of
resistance by the political male-dominated
environment. Most controversial attitudes have
turned out being - Feeling extraneous
- Critical approach
- Belief in womens added value in politics
- Public negotiation
- Private negotiation
- Other attitudes produce resistance when connected
with one another (e.g. political dynamism and
care)
23Some practical implications of research outputs
- Potential for change implied by womens presence
in political institutions is diversified impact
does not automatically rise with increased
numbers - However, most womens actions have the potential
to challenge male-dominated institutions, albeit
to different degrees - It is important to fight exclusionary factors,
through legislative and policy interventions, but
it is equally important doing so while fostering
womens attitudes conducive to change
24Objective factors
Subjective attitudes
25To conclude
- Empowerment is crucial to strengthen attitudes
more directly challenging the status quo and thus
socializing gender difference in the political
arena, both for women already in politics, and
for those that are not and young girls, who could
contribute a lot to change by bringing in their
different approaches and experiences. - The project experimental activities move in this
direction linking different power levels,
practices and generations to promote change. - The results of the experimentation and of the
whole project will conduct to the final drafting
of guidelines for fostering women political
participation.
26Experimental activities underway
- The 6 micro-projects deal with (in brackets the
promoters) - Womens empowerment for political leadership in
the Latium regional administration (ALEF, women
association) - Negotiation for womens leadership in largest
chemical and textile Italian trade unions
(FILTEA, national trade union) - Mentoring program for women in local branches of
an Italian national-level party (MARGOWEB, local
club of a political party) - Helping elected women in municipal
administrations (Rome province) to link with
their constituencies and effectively address
womens priorities, enhancing participation
(ASPETTARE STANCA, women association) - Migrant women and reconciliation issues for
enlarging participation to grassroots political
movements and associations in Rome (DS VIII
MUNICIPIO, local federation of a political party) - Promoting women in middle-level positions in a
national-level Italian trade union (CISL,
regional federation of a trade union)