Women and political representation

1
Women and political representation

• From Rhetoric to Practice Investigating the gaps
  between design and implementation in gender
  equality policies
• Giovanna Declich, ASDO
• June 3rd, 2007

2
The 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.

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The 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.

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Two 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.

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ASDOs 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.).

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Research 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

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Under-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
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More 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
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More 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
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But 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
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Segregation 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
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Segregation 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
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Research 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

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Research 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

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Research 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

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The weight of obstacle factors
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Research 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

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Research 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

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Research 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

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Research 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

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Research 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

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Research 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)

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Some 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

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Objective factors
Subjective attitudes
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To 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.

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Experimental 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)