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OUR PEOPLE, OUR MISSION Women’s Health Education Underrepresentation of Women Global Health eMagazine December 2022 Perspective Highlights Welcome Congratulations Article of the Month Video of the Month Ebola in Uganda Decolonization Innovation and Technology Among the Letters Nursing Division Art to Remind Us of Who We Can Be Reflections Our Beautiful Planet Upcoming Grand Rounds New Publication Global Health Family Calendar Photo Gallery Resources Written by Sarah Cordisco, BSN, RN Staff Nurse at the University of Vermont Globally, women are underrepresented in the political field. While women make up around 50% of the population in every country, they make up a mere 22% of all people in national parliaments. Of more than 190 countries, women are the head of government in only 12 (Paxton et al., 2021). Though these numbers are very low, women’s participation in government has dramatically increased over the last century. Prior to 1890, no women anywhere in the world had the right to vote. Now, women are able to vote and participate in politics around the globe. From the year 2000-2010, the number of women in parliaments nearly doubled from 11.7% to 19.4%, with slower growth from 2010-2022, leading to 22% of women in parliaments today (Paxton et al., 2021). Throughout the years, the country with the most women in government positions has changed. Today, Rwanda is the leading country with 61% of government positions being held by women (Paxton et al., 2021). While the uptick of women in power is extremely important, it is equally important to note that women’s participation in government is not equal across the globe. Countries with societies that operate on extreme patriarchal beliefs are generally hostile to the participation of women in politics, and therefore have less growth in that area. This particularly takes place in low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC). When looking at LMICs, we must look at the global order. “The global order describes the current state systems and the interconnected organizations that form the global governance framework” (Medie et al., 2018). The basis for this order can be traced to the development of nation-states and spans colonization, independence, and decolonization. This order has been shaped by powerful states, international organizations, and the United Nations (Medie et al., 2018). Many studies attribute gender inequality to social, economic, and political factors within the state; when the global order is introduced, we are able to look at how the ideologies and actions of powerful states and international organizations have advanced or hindered gender equality. When taking this into consideration, we can see how the Western ideologies of feminism that are adopted and promoted by these powerful states and organizations may have negative impacts on LMICs. Some feminist scholars have noticed a divide between scholars of feminist security studies and scholars of feminist global political economy. This divide prevents feminist international relations scholars from identifying the complexity of factors, including the global order, that are at the root of issues like sexual violence and other forms of insecurity and inequalities (Medie et al., 2018). However, the consideration of the global order is not limited to understanding violence against women but is also present in issues of women’s empowerment. Activists such as Srilatha Batliwala, Sara Hlupekile Longwe, and Naila Kabeer 22 Nursing continued on next page >>
OUR PEOPLE, OUR MISSION Global Health eMagazine December 2022 Perspective Highlights Welcome Congratulations Article of the Month Video of the Month Ebola in Uganda Decolonization Innovation and Technology Among the Letters Nursing Division Art to Remind Us of Who We Can Be Reflections Our Beautiful Planet Upcoming Grand Rounds New Publication Global Health Family have argued that solutions and programs to the issue of empowerment often have failed to address underlying structural imbalances of power, hiding the existing gender, economic, and political inequalities as opposed to challenging them. While issues regarding women’s empowerment are present globally, this issue is pertinent to LMICs due to imbalances in the economic and political sectors that are caused by historical and contemporary processes such as colonization, capitalism, and globalization (Medie et al., 2018). There are three arguments for women’s equal representation: formal, descriptive and substantive. The most basic argument is formal representation, meaning that women have the same legal right as men to participate in politics; however, this requires that all barriers to women’s participation in decision-making be removed, eradicating the discrimination of women in the area of poltics. Descriptive representation means there must be a descriptive similarity between the representative and constituents. Essentially saying, because women make up 50% of the population, they should also make up 50% of government officials. Substantive representation, or symbolic representation, is the argument that simply the presence of women in power is important and creates the feeling of being fairly or effectively represented. However, this argument does not consider the other identities, such as race, ethnicity, religion, etc, that are needed for equal and fair representation of entire populations (Paxton et al., 2021). It is extremely important to increase the representation of women in positions of power. Individuals who hold office are able to decide how to allocate potentially scarce resources, as well as decide which issues are addressed first. Politicians often are forced to make decisions that help some people while hurting others. These decisions can also affect an individual’s choice and behavior by encouraging some and outlawing others. Politicians also hold power over social institutions, such as family and education. When women are not equally represented, or represented at all, issues that pertain to and affect them primarily go unaddressed. This leads to further inequalities in women’s day-to-day lives, as well as affecting them in the long-term (Paxton et al., 2021). References Medie, P. A., & Kang, A. J. (2018). Power, knowledge and the politics of gender in the Global South, European Journal of Politics and Gender, 1(1-2), 37-54. Retrieved Nov 16, 2022, from https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/ journals/ejpg/1/1-2/article-p37.xml Paxton, P., Hughes, M., & Barnes, T. (2021). Women, politics, and power: A global perspective. Rowman & Littlefield. Calendar Photo Gallery Resources 23
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