This month, a great step toward equal representation of women in politics was achieved: , the largest city in the province, for a second term. This win also comes with a series of other wins for women across the province. , including Catherine Fournier, the 29-year-old who is now mayor of Longueuil.
As a young woman interested in voicing my concerns in the political sphere, I was encouraged by the results of this recent municipal election. But there is still much work to be done in society to actually achieve equality in politics.
While it might seem like we are getting closer as , this does not always translate to women being elected to office. This is known as the 鈥樷�� effect 鈥� where women are pushed by political parties to run in ridings that they have no chance of succeeding in. (sadly 鈥� a record), and when it comes to female representation in federal and provincial governments.
鈥楤ut what about her emails?鈥� The over-scrutiny of women in politics
Beyond the 鈥榞lass cliff,鈥� women face other real barriers when entering the public sphere. It has been proven time and again that women are overly scrutinized in the media () and . In political campaigns specifically, women are often attacked with harsher negative headlines. One of the best examples of this occurred in the 2016 American presidential race. Hillary Clinton, the only woman seeking the presidential office, was hit with compared to all other candidates. This is shocking and alarming considering she was standing next to Donald Trump, a man accused of alleged , among many other scandals.
Clinton, on the other hand, was heavily accused of allegedly using a private email server during her mandate as Secretary of State 鈥� a possible violation of federal security requirements. , the issue at hand here is that we were completely ignoring the multiple criminal suits against Trump and focusing on Clinton鈥檚 correspondences. On top of this, Clinton was also at the centre of . Trump supporters were constantly bombarding her with jokes and comments that sexualized her in any sort of way, which , but why does it have to be so?
惭补颈苍迟补颈苍颈苍驳听补肠肠辞耻苍迟补产颈濒颈迟测
That said, it is important to recognize that women in politics are not beyond reproach simply because they represent a way toward gender equality. Former Canadian Senator Lynn Beyak , and Conservative Member of Parliament Leslyn Lewis has been , for instance. Harmful actions such as these deserve critique. True progress lies in the equal participation, treatment, and opportunities for men and women in society 鈥� and this includes accountability. We鈥檙e asking you to stop scrutinizing our appearance and stop the sexist name-calling and to start focusing on the issues we are talking about.
Nevertheless, the fight to improve representation in politics cannot stop there. Equal representation must be intersectional and inclusive of not just gender but other factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and class. Simply having more white women hold office does not solve many inequality problems facing politics. For example, in instances where racialized women have held office in Canada, these individuals have dealt with , as well as . On multiple levels, the equal gender representation we are fighting for today is in need of a refresher itself.
When asked when there will be enough women on the U.S. supreme court, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a pioneer in women鈥檚 equality and representation, . 鈥淧eople are shocked. But there鈥檇 been nine men, and nobody鈥檚 ever raised a question about,鈥� she stated. Even though Ginsburg left an incredible path and legacy, there is still so much work to do for future generations. We might never get to a point where women hold the majority of seats in any political office. But if we can put an end to misogynist comments in campaigns and the over-scrutiny of women鈥檚 competence to hold political power, we might create an environment in politics where all are welcome, to the benefit of the representation of all.
惭补谤颈苍别听Khediguian听(蝉丑别/丑别谤)聽is an aspiring ESL teacher with a passion for student advocacy and being a positive role model in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant with iMPACTS while she pursues her studies.
