Blog by Gail Dekreon, SIA Director 2024-2025, member of SI of San Francisco
Introduction
As a delegate for Soroptimist International at CSW69, I had the opportunity to attend a powerful side event on women’s political participation. The event highlighted progress made over the past few decades in Spain, Chile, Slovenia, and Tanzania, while also addressing the persistent barriers women face when striving for equal representation in politics.
Barriers to Women’s Political Participation
What a side event this was!!! In only 50 years, the women of Spain, Chile, Slovenia, and Tanzania reported great strides towards equal participation in governing, despite acknowledging that no country has yet attained 50/50 equality. Why is there resistance to equal participation by women in politics?
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet recalled being told by a male colleague that if a woman came in, he would have to leave. Women who achieve political decision-making roles are subject not only to physical attacks but also harassment, demeaning commentary in the media, bullying, and threats of sexual violence. This threatens democracy.
President Bachelet identified three key areas needed to incentivise women to take the risks and run for office: (1) addressing financial barriers women face, (2) leadership training, and (3) mentorship. She also stressed the importance of solidarity among women to promote and support female candidates. Additionally, she advocated for “zipper listing” on ballots, where candidates are listed sequentially as “man, woman, man, woman” rather than placing women lower on the ballot.
Progress and Challenges in Different Countries
In 1978 in Spain, upon the fall of the dictator Franco, a new Constitution was passed which included laws on violence against women and girls, establishing a “protective legislature that promotes women’s rights in order to advance in democracy, with all of the checks and balances.” Minister of Equality Ana Redondo reflected on Franco’s era, where women were required a marital license to open a bank account or travel abroad. In contrast, for the last 50 years, Spain has advanced equality at a good pace! Minister Ana Redondo calls for “social consensus” to include and not ignore women’s talents. We need social and political consensus to respect the rights of women. She highlighted the importance of laws addressing both physical and digital violence against women and girls, with enforcement by police and support from public institutions.
Although there have been significant advancements, gaps remain in areas such as healthcare and representation. Women in Spain increasingly participate in the labour market but still bear the primary responsibility for household and caregiving duties, with many male partners not contributing equally. To address this, there is a push for greater representation in government, corporate boards, and decision-making roles, with a target of achieving a more balanced gender distribution. Minister Ana Redondo also advocates for the “zipper list” for naming candidates on ballots.
Slovenia’s State Secretary for the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunity, Dan Juvan, emphasised the importance of strong family and social policies in achieving gender equality in government. Mr Juvan stated: “A key pre-condition to achieve equality in government is strong family and social policy to balance career and social lives.”
In 1974, Slovenia put the right to abortion in their Constitution; women are allowed 12 months of maternity leave after giving birth; fathers are allowed 270 days. High-quality childcare, paid for by employers, is important for working women to be the most productive in their jobs. Juvan shared that a significant proportion of women opt for flexible work schedules due to home and childcare responsibilities, and women take on the majority of sick leave when family members fall ill. He emphasised that increased political representation of women leads to better governance.
Quotas have helped to increase women’s participation, but so far, it is mostly high-income women who can afford to run for office, while working-class women remain marginalised and underrepresented. In addition, violence against women in politics, including verbal attacks and gender-based discrimination, continues to deter women from entering politics. He pointed out that globally, poverty and cultural biases cause gender discrimination and that governments and organisations around the world should change discriminatory policies.
Finally, we heard from Jokate Urban Mwegelo, Tanzania’s Secretary General of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi Youth Wing. In Tanzania, gender quotas have led to an increase in women parliamentarians. However, female representation at the national level remains significantly lower than that of men. Secretary Mwegelo is the first woman to hold her current position. In her country, deep-rooted cultural perceptions discourage women from taking political roles, and younger women, in particular, lack the financial resources to compete with men, creating a cycle that excludes new women leaders.
She described her first political appointment as District Commissioner, governing a piece of land in Tanzania, where she was harassed online and in the digital sphere. There is a lack of institutional support for women in Tanzania. The solution is to utilise gender quotas and affirmative action to promote female participation. She also proposes setting up a fund to help women, particularly young women, to run for office, and mentoring to support and encourage women candidates.
Conclusion
The discussions at this side event demonstrated both the progress and the ongoing challenges faced by women in politics. While gender quotas, mentorship, and legal frameworks have contributed to greater representation, financial barriers, cultural biases, and violence against women in politics continue to hinder full parity. Moving forward, collaboration across nations, legal reforms, and sustained advocacy will be crucial in achieving true equality in political participation. The insights shared by these inspiring women reinforce the need for continued action to ensure that women’s voices are heard and represented at all levels of governance.