Polling day is upon us, but how many of us will be voting? Janet Street Porter appeared on Question Time on Thursday night and commented that the three debates with Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have felt very male dominated and there was little reflection around women, who will statistically be the majority of voters in this election. It raises the question about how many women are involved in politics and how little they appear in the media and press.
This is a debate that was brought up by Natasha Walter in The Guardian on Tuesday, 27th April (‘Women have gone missing, and new sexists are dusting off old theories’). Walter commented that women face a barrier when it comes to making public appearances and taking high profile roles – once they find the opportunities to take them – based on their appearance and the way they are ‘expected’ to behave: “If we are to change the balance of the voices we hear around us and see female faces as often as male ones on cultural platforms and political hustings… we have to allow (them) to be as various, as good and as bad, as interesting and as dull, as experienced and as fresh, as the men beside them, rather than boxing them up into tired old stereotypes”.
Natasha Walter did recognise that there are platforms for women to speak out and have their voices heard, such as a female politicians debate held by the Fawcett Society on Monday, 26th April.
At the debate, the panel discussed topical issues such as concerns over the lack of promotion opportunities for women in large corporations and the bonus payment reductions many women receive compared to men. It was a timely debate, as it came on the day 5,000 women working for Birmingham City Council won a tribunal case for equal pay.
But the question still remains – are women and issues specific to women being debated strongly enough during the election campaign? Are women engaged enough to go out and vote on the 6th May? Are women in business getting a fair deal? Let us know your views – fill in our short Election survey.
Tags: Women in Politics
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