2/15/2021 0 Comments WOMEN IN POLITICS From Jacinda Arden to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, women have gradually become better represented in politics, finally being able to hold positions of leadership and authority in a traditionally male-dominated field. Female politicians across the world have made significant strides in improving and progressing the social, economic, and cultural conditions of their respective countries and will surely continue to do so moving forward. However, why has it taken so long for political positions to be made available for women? What has kept women from being perceived as competent and capable of leading countries and government bodies? The root of this question lies in the patriarchal conditions under which women have lived for millennia, and which up until the first world war, prohibited women from even voting - much less running for office. The act of voting is the single most basic exercise of one’s political right, and the first step towards creating a nation, municipality, or region, that adheres to the wishes of the general public. In Canada, women only gained the basic right to vote in federal elections as of 1918 - although it is important to note that this was exclusive to Caucasian women, while other ethnic groups, such as Indigenous women, were only able to vote much later. In 1921, history was made when Agnes Macphail, the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, triumphed in the federal elections. This was not only a personal victory for Mrs. Macphail but an enormous conquest for all Canadian women. From Canada’s official confederation in 1867 all the way until 1921, a period of 54 years, women were completely excluded from all political movements- a tragedy in the history of the nation. Since then, however, female involvement in Canadian politics has increased exponentially, as women now represent approximately 35% of all Canadian legislators. Although something to commemorate, this number is not yet equivalent to the percentage of male politicians in Canada. This statistic is one of many examples of the difficult dichotomy that women hold - feeling content with a social improvement, while also yearning for more. While female representation in all branches of government has grown, improvements have yet to be made. For this reason and many others, it is the responsibility of all citizens of our nation to nurture professional and academic environments in which women, and all members of the gender spectrum, are not only empowered but welcomed into traditionally gendered fields.
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