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    This is the third issue of women 2000 on the subject of women in politics. The experts agreed that women had the right and responsibility to participate in Public Life. The importance of the subject was recognized by The Commission on the Status of Women.

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    This is the third issue of women 2000 on the subject of women in politics. The experts agreed that women had the right and responsibility to participate in Public Life. The importance of the subject was recognized by The Commission on the Status of Women.

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    38 views23 pages

    Woman in Public Life

    Uploaded by

    Helena Santana
    This is the third issue of women 2000 on the subject of women in politics. The experts agreed that women had the right and responsibility to participate in Public Life. The importance of the subject was recognized by The Commission on the Status of Women.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 23
    No. 2, 1992 WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE Above: Norway's Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, addressing the General ‘Assembly, September 1991; below: Women's solidarity march in New York in 1972 INTRODUCTION ‘This is the third issue of ‘Women 2000 on the subject of ‘women in politics. No. 2, 1989 foeused on women and politics ‘and No. 1, 1990 en women in Gecision-making. An Expert Group Meeting on the Role of ‘Women in Public Life was held in Vienna in May 1991. The ‘conclusions of the Meeting were {tended as a preparation forthe Jaterregional Consultation on ‘Women in Public Life, which was scheduled for September 991, but postponed because of a lack of adequate resources. ‘Atthe May Meeting, the ex: pertsagreed that women hadthe Fight and responsibility t0 pat Reipate actively in public life land that rather than being seen fs a minority issue, equality in public life should be seen as an Fesue of democratic party. They falso agreed that the perception Of politics as “male tersitory” trad to be changed, as did the Structures of politics and public {if in order to make them more hospitable w women. It was polated out, however, that in Crder to change the system, it was necessary for more women to enter party politics as they ‘curentlyexistedand that women should involve themselvesin all aspects of politics to avoid rnurginalizing themselves. The draft platform adopted by the Meeting is reproduced in this publication (see pp-10-13) ‘The importance of the sub- ject was recognized by the ‘Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-sixth ses- sion, held at Vienna in March 3992. The Commission adopted ‘by consensus a resolution ex- pressing its conviction that rue democracy could not de ‘achieved without women’s full participation in and their conti Bution to, including that to deci sion-making, all spheres of li and urging Governments toi frease their efforts to appoint women to all executive deci 2 sios-making bodies in political, ‘economic and cultural life, sos fo achieve incrementally full gender equality. 1t also urged polieal parties trade unions and Fon- governmental organizations foencourage women to use their ents, topromote women, toput Forward women as candidates to all elective posts and to support fctively their election to such posts. In another resolution, On Preparations for the Fourth Worid Conference on Women: ‘Aetion for Equality, Develop- ment and Peace (1995), the Coramission rc hat the regional preparatory confet- fences, should include on theit da the issue of women in Public life, emphasizing their fole in politics and decision- taking. It also requested the Seeretary-General to include in the preparations of the priority theme on peace, “women it temational decision-making”, foritsthiy-ninth session (1995), ifemaonon womens obi fe. ‘Aswellas variouscase smdies prepared by the experts on the Eiuation of women in publi ife jn their own countties, 10 Consultants presented papers 10 the May meeting. One provided 4 comprehensive analysis and ‘Mustatedthe situation of wornen inthe industrialized world. Itis reproduced here in abbreviated form, The other concentrated on the situation of women in de- veloping countries. PUBLIC LIFE: WOMEN ‘MAKE A DIFFERENCE” ‘Women’s rale in polities and public life in the region catego- ized by the United Nations as “Western Europe and others” is examined herein. It suggests that there are arenas beyond Governments, legislatures and Based om a paper pepaed by Vir nia Wil forthe Expert Group Meeting hae Bele of Women in Public if, ‘Venn 71-24 May 1991 bureaucracies, important to public life and the political rocess, in which women should ‘more equally represented. The reise of the paperis that there Bea growing body of evidence to suggestthat women dobring end make a difference to politics and public life, but the institutions of Society and processes of govern- ‘ment need to be adapted 10 a0- ‘commodate that difference. Generalizations from wnco- ondinated evidence in disparate countries with varied political systems and conditions are cif- ficult to make, so no overview ccan be complete. Many factors Se involved in the differences that wornen may have helped to make, These include the person lites of leaders of ether gen- der, demographic changes, €00 homie conditions, social, ati tudes, andthe political and cul- tural environment? None the Tess, itis possible to conclude that women atthe ballot box, in non-governmental organiza; fons, in local government, and jn elective and appointive of Hoescanmakea difference. They are changing public perceptions fofwomen and women’ sroles by their example, and when present {in appropriate murmbers, cen make a difference 19 the way affairs are conducted. They afe widening the agendas of public Iife to include issues of concern to women, and helping to frame policies that are relevant to women’s lives and reflect their experience, to the ultimate ben cit of the whole community. ‘And.asalways, womencontinse to make a difference in their lo- al communities, rendering 2 public service 100 often taken For granted and undervalued. ‘The prevailing culture in politics and public life derives rom the male-oriented Homeric tradition of the citizen soldier ‘and from a politcal philosophy that confined women and wor- fen's concerns to the private sphere of domesticity. “In Eu- rope the industrial revolution ‘emphasized the division between private and public life, which, as itbecame increasingly sectorized ‘and hierarchical, became even more inimical to women’s in- volvement. Women and wom- ‘en's interests in public life have a long tradition of exclusion to overcome, Public life embraces the for- ‘al politcal legislative and ad- ‘ministrative areas of govern- ‘ment, but goes wider. “At one level, the political processes of ‘public life involve a continuous econciliaionofinterests within and between the important so- cial and economic actors, even outside governmental and par- liamentary institutions. Inafair, representative and efficient so- ciety, women should be present in appropriate numbers, visible and. articulate participants at policy-making levels in all the forums that contribute to the wider political process, as well asexeeutorsof such policy once made. Govemment, parliament, political partes and the admin- {Swrative bureaucracies are at the hear ofthe public realm but in ‘themodern State, interestorgani- zations, andespecially economic interest organizations such as ‘wade unions, an industrial and employers” organizations, exer- cise a powerful influence on ppublic policy-making as they refine, define, artculateand seek ‘ofurher the particular concems of their members. At another level, public life includes activi ties outside the domestic sphere, however low key and loca, thet, concem the public weal. tis in {his area that women have been pre-eminent. It is generally the women’s ‘non-governmental organizations that represent, articulate and lobby for women’s interests in the corporative State, but they have little economic or political muscle. They have always been marginalized, with nothing like the power and influence of other interest groups, such as trade unions, employers’ federations 3 or professional associations. None of these groups have been forward in espousing the par- ticular concems of women, even ‘when, as withthe trade unions, ‘women make up a significant proportion of the membership. Many unions are, however, now starting to examine the propor- tion of women in their struc- tures, and adopting policies to increase women’s participation atevery level including in deci- sion-making bodies. Employ- ers’ associations have been slowerinmakingchanges. Much that these major interest groups seek to achieve, however, isun- doubtedlyrelevantandimporant to women. ‘There are variations in how {interest groups and their power are institutionalized and associ ated with the legislative and ex- ecutive functions of government indifferent countries. Available statistics are haphazard but present a consistent picture; ‘women are everywhere absent from or vastly underrepresented in the leadership of trade unions andemployers’ organizations, in the judiciary, important profes- sional groupings, high univer sity positions and the media. ‘Women’ sunderrepresentation in top jobs almost everywhere is relaiednotonly totheirinfluence within the interest associations, but also in the public sector within quasi-governmental structures. The public realm in- cludes, for example, official consultative, executive, regula- tory and advisory boards, which ‘can be very important. ‘Senior ‘professional and business people ‘eminent in their associations are a kind of talent pool for such bodies whose members tend 10 be selected and appointed partly by virtue of their experience and leadership positions in interest organizations. Excluded from these, women are denied the possibility of making their full and proper contribution notonly tothe policies of interest organi- zations themselves, but topublic

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