1.

Inequality in the political system

Introduction:

Nowadays, we observe a progress concerning the parity within the political system.
But if sexism is still very present in this field, it’s because politics were occupied by men
during a big part of our history.
We remember the right to vote in 1944, which officially marks the entry of French women in
politics. But all over the world, the conquest for political freedom by and for women was a
very hard and long chapter that is still in movement. The first women to assert themselves in
this field have been confronted to physical and psychological violences for the only reason
that they were women. Today, we can see a real increase of their number in political
institutions all over the world, even if it is still insufficient in a lot of cases. Their leadership is
essential to achieve equality and give a neutral representation of power and government.
Canada, a country that fights for gender equality
1919 → women have the right to be candidates for federal elections (Agnes Campbelle
Macphail)
1930 → 1st woman appointed to the senate
1953 → only 5% of parliamentarians were women / 26% (1997) / 49% (2021) = huge
increase, parity in the senate achieved for the 1st time in 2020

House of commons : 5% in 1980 (less than senate) / 30% (2021) → increase, not parity and
less than senate. But record : “It is relatively new to see so many women in the House of
Commons”, Genevière Tellier (political scientist). 1st time so many women have been elected
to the House of Commons. But still insufficient.
Unlike Members of Parliament, Senators are appointed; gender balance is one of the current
criteria in the appointment process

Canada : considered as the country where the women's conditions of life are the best (France
has a bad place, a lot of inequalities). Here, the participation of women in politics is very good
compared to other countries in the world → based on the mondial report about human
development.
But not the best country for men and women equality (the 1st is Islande).
Voters vote no less for women than for men. But in achieving parity, the work is in vain if
there are not enough women running.
They ran in record numbers in this 44th general election, but they were still under-represented
compared to men (37%). Pb : governments and public policies cannot be representative if men
and women do not participate equally.

6 important feminine figures in Canada : (5 provinces and a territory are directed by women)
Alison Redford (prime minister of Alberta), Kathleen Wynne (prime minister of Ontario) or
Pauline Marois (prime minister of Quebec) for ex.

Hungary, the european country with the most gender inequalities in politics:

Persistent absence of women in the Hungarian political system. It is the state in which
the number of women in parliament and government is the lowest since 20 years.
Borbala Juhasz (historian of women) explains: since the return of democracy, the percentage
of women in parliament has been between 9 and 13% since the socialist years in 1990.
Hungarian parliamentary = with the least parity since 2003.
Opposite of Canada : no regression but stagnation for many years, traduction of a real
problem within the country. No one has ever taken action to address this problem within the
political system (the only measures like imposing a quota of 50% of women has never been
accepted by any party…).

Hypothesis of a strong patriarchal structure in Hungary in every political side.

Some parties imposed a form of parity as the socialist party, but very low (20%)
Quote : “The absence of Hungarian women in politics is due to very entrenched patterns
according to which power, money and decisions are really the business of men.” Borbala.
= Ideology that has never been questioned

Presence of some prominent women politicians : the deputy Klara Dobrev or the president
Katalin Novak - doesn’t significate a bigger interest for women in politics because the
majority is still masculine and the mentality doesn’t seem to change quickly.