Women in Politics: An Analysis Through History Until the Present

Written by Inês Laginha & Joana Pereira

Women with and without the right to vote have always been involved in politics, but since not so long-ago women have increased their participation in political and public affairs exponentially and their political action, but how so?

Has there been any significant impact that women have caused in political terms over the centuries until today? Or is the female representation in the political sphere something extremely recent? Nowadays, what has been the impact of the participation of women in political institutions, not only in national politics but also in international politics? And how can we promote the participation of women in this important field of our society?

An historical insight:

How has it started?

Well, we all might confidently suppose that it all started with the suffragettes, an organization made in the 20th century, that fought for the right of women to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom, which led women to bravely fight for a right they deserve, earning it, for the very first time in the world, in New Zealand, in 1893.

This has been undeniably important to boost the participation of women in politics, and this movement led many other countries, inspired by the women’s suffrage, to also fight for a right that could not be restrained only to men. But can we have a deeper insight on how women increasingly began to fight for a place in political and public life? It is obvious that the organization of social movements, lobbying, raising money and participating in political action contributed to this change, but how did we get here? Is it possible to go back in time for a couple of centuries and see how this movement for women empowerment in politics truly started? In fact, it is.

The 18th Century

Let’s travel back to 1789, the very peak of the French Revolution. In this year, after the famous events that started the redefinition of political power in Europe, a Constitutional Committee was created to write the very first French Constitution, published in 1791. However, the promises that led this revolution “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”, did not include one half of the French society, women.

In this Constitution, women lacked rights to liberties such as the right to vote, given only to men, freedom to speak and, most importantly, education.

Olympe de Gouges, a French political activist, wrote, shortly after the publishment of the French Constitution, the?Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen?(1791), condemning the inexistent political rights of women, advocating for fairness regarding that, just like men, women are equally deserving of having the same rights as the other sex, and that they have as much capacity as men to be admitted in public and political life, so she dared women to stand up for what they inherently own, wailing for what women had lost with the Revolution, opposing to men.

De Gouges’ work had a major impact in the political participation of women in society and led her to be considered one of the very first feminists in history, propelling the rise of the feminist movement and writings about the rights of women.

The writing of the French Constitution was inspired by the ideas written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher whose work contributed to the creation of this constitution, and a fierce defender that human beings have relations of equality and freedom. However, these ideas did not include women, who were deemed, as this philosopher strongly advocated, to be the weaker sex. Rosseau stated, in his work?émile?(1762), that women needed to rely on men for well-being, since they are “less rational than men ''.

Following the works of Olympe de Gouges, Mary Wollstonecraft, a British philosopher of the same century, after seeing with great sorrow that the French Constitution did

not extend the rights of liberty and equality to the French women, wrote?A Vindication of the Rights of Women?(1792), condemning the lack of empathizing with the fellow sex, not only in the French Constitution, but also criticizing the small-minded ideas regarding the education of women, defended by Rousseau.

In this vindication, Mary Wollstonecraft contests the position of women in society, by denunciating the unfair laws and prejudices that restricted eighteenth-century women’s lives. Wollstonecraft also argued that women are equally deserving of having the same rights as men, and that they should be allowed to have proper education, for example, by being educated in medicine (not just to be nurses), business and farming, which would benefit all society.

This way, Mary Wollstonecraft marked her place in History to be the first feminist political theorist and one of the most important philosophers that first advocated for the equality of rights between genders. For this, Wollstonecraft had a meaningful impact in the feminist movement that primarily led to the participation of women in politics, since she defended educational equality.

The 19th Century

After the impact of the works of Olympe de Gouges and Mary Wollstonecraft, the feminist movement became increasingly more popular and more visible, so what happened to the participation of women in politics afterwards?

It was in the 19th century that women first began fighting for universal suffrage and political equality, beginning what historians call the First-Wave Feminism. In this century, many manifestations and strikes were made regarding the fight for equality in all spheres of society, such as the Bryant & May Match Girls’ strike.

Bryant & May, a matchmaking company of the 19th century, alongside with the use of white phosphorus, which is very dangerous for one’s health (since it causes a disease commonly known as phossy jaw) had a history of paying their workers very poorly, mistreated them by losing part of their wage if they arrived late, talked or went to the toilet, and made them work very long shifts – up to fourteen-hour workdays.

The increasing discontent from the workers, most of them women and girls, led them to strike over the years, to demand better work conditions. These strikes, however, were only successful in 1888, where almost 1400 women and girls refused to work. One of the leaders and organizers of the 1888 strike was Sarah Chapman, a discontented worker of the factory, helped by Annie Beasant, whose action allowed the worker’s factory to successfully negotiate better work conditions and impose demands, which were all agreed upon.

Chapman led the movement for the fight of better work conditions, holding meetings and gathering assistance from the press and, alongside with Beasant, establishing the Union of Women MatchMakers – one of the largest female unions in the country – where she was subsequently made president and, after that, was made the Union’s first representative to the Trades Union Congress, a trade union centre in England and Wales.

Sarah Chapman and her fellow unionizers action inspired other workers to unionize and fight for changes in their work conditions and became another great example of how the participation of women in politics allows the creation of meaningful changes.

However, it was not only in the United Kingdom that women fought for changes concerning their rights and took political action.

On the other side of the globe, in the United States, Victoria Woodhull, a leader for the women’s suffrage, caused great fuss in the 1872 elections for being the first ever woman to run for President of the United States.

After finding an incongruity in the 14th and 15th amendments of the United States Constitution, Victoria Woodhull argued that women had the right to vote, since these amendments guaranteed the protection of that right to all citizens. This allowed her to gain more visibility as a women’s rights advocate, so she decided to draw the public attention that was on her to the suffrage movement, which helped her to successfully announce her candidacy in the 1872 elections for President of the United States for the Equal Rights Party.

During her campaign, Woodhull spoke about the lack of female representation in parliament, proposed the creation of a new constitution and a new government.

Although not elected, Woodhull inspiringly contributed to the increasing participation of women in the political sphere, attracting the press eye to the rise of the women's suffrage movement, which allowed what can be considered the very beginning of the participation of women in politics and the exercise of the rights that, as human beings, women own.

The 20th century

It was finally in the 20th century that the United States and most countries in Europe allowed women to vote – the most important and efficient way of being involved in politics.

It was mainly after the First and the Second World Wars that women ultimately conquered this right, since their presence in the labour market was quickly increasing and the demographic composition of the countries affected by these wars was progressively shifting.

After the extension of this right to many women, their participation in politics increased even more: more political action was taken, since it was also a concern for the feminist movement to assure financial independence for women, more career opportunities, the abolition of gender double standards and the overall female participation in political parties, parliaments and governments and presidency.

It was only in 1980 that a woman was elected for the first time for presidency. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, from Iceland, won the presidential election and remained in office for 16 years.

Influential female figures like Princess Diana, royal princess of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime-minister of Great Britain, Eleanor Roosevelt, political aide of the American president Franklin Roosevelt, Indira Gandhi, the first female prime-minister of India, Benazir Ghutto, the first female prime minister of a Muslim country and many other women, fought for gender equality and showed History that women are as much capable of doing political work as a men could do.

These women, as much as many that fought and died for the rights and liberties that were allowed to men and not to women, made immeasurable changes in society by which the role of a woman was portrayed, fought for the respect of human rights and changed History.

Obstacles and challenges for women in their political journey

Although the work of eighteenth century, nineteenth century and twentieth century women was significant for the making of political changes, it was not enough, since women continue to face significant obstacles when it comes to their participation in politics. Today, in the 21st century, much change still must be done and the participation of women in politics still has much space to grow.

On one hand, one of the biggest obstacles is societal attitudes and gender stereotypes, that view women as less capable leaders than men. These are reinforced by cultural and religious beliefs, as well as by media portrayals of women in leadership roles. As a result, this limits their access to education and creates economic barriers, such as unequal pay and limited access to credit and financing.

On the other hand, many political parties and electoral systems are not designed to accommodate women's participation or may be dominated by men who are resistant to change, and women who speak out or run for political office may face violence and intimidation.

Finally, women's sense of responsibility towards the family, such as caring for children, the elderly, or the home, can also be a great challenge to their professional ambitions.

Impact of women participation in politics

In fact, the participation of women in politics has had a significant impact on society, both in terms of policy outcomes and the broader political culture. Women bring unique perspectives and experiences to the political process, which can lead to more inclusive and effective policies that reflect the diverse needs of society.

When women hold political leadership positions, they often prioritize issues that are important to women and families, such as healthcare, education, and social welfare policies. Moreover, their participation in politics can also lead to more collaborative and inclusive decision-making processes. Women tend to have a more cooperative and consensual leadership style, which can lead to greater cooperation and compromise among political leaders.

Additionally, the presence of women in politics can help to challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes and promote gender equality. Women in political leadership positions serve as role models for other women and girls, inspiring them to pursue their professional ambitions and challenge gender norms.

One notable example of a woman who has made a significant impact in politics is Angela Merkel, a German politician, who was the Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is known for her leadership during the European financial crisis and her commitment to environmental issues. Beyond this, she was a strong advocate for international cooperation and human rights.

Another inspiration is Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the country's youngest female leader in more than 150 years. She is known for her compassionate leadership style and her response to the Christchurch terrorist attack in 2019 and Covid-19 in 2020.

Similarly to the decisive political action made by women in the past, these examples demonstrate the significant impact that women can have in politics, and underscore the importance of creating more opportunities for women to participate in political leadership positions.

Creating opportunities for women to lead

Despite the increasing participation of women in politics, even more notable in this century, the need to create opportunities for women to achieve leadership positions still persist.

In order to have a more inclusive and equitable political system it is crucial to create initiatives to promote women's participation in politics. One effective implementation is the introduction of quotas for women in politics. Countries such as India, Norway, and Rwanda have introduced quotas requiring a certain percentage of political positions to be reserved for women, resulting in a significant increase in women's representation in government and helping to promote gender equality in politics.

Another important initiative is the creation of training and mentorship programs for women in politics. These programs should not only teach skills, such as budgeting and decision-making, but also help women develop self-confidence and self-defense mechanisms against oppression. Many organizations, such as the Women in Politics Institute at American University, offer training and mentorship programs designed specifically for women in politics.

Networking opportunities are also essential for promoting women's participation in politics. Events and conferences provide women with the opportunity to meet and connect with other women in the political field, build a support network, and learn from each other's experiences. In Bangladesh, for example, Women's Political Empowerment Day is an annual event that brings together women from all levels of government.

Finally, media campaigns can play a significant role in raising awareness of the importance of women's participation in politics and highlighting the achievements of women in political leadership roles. The United Nations' #SheLeads campaign is a powerful example of this kind of action, undeniably important to promote what has been proven to be a great change in our society — an increasing participation of women in political and public life.

The future of women in politics looks promising, as more women are breaking through barriers and entering the political arena. To continue this positive path it is

crucial that governments and organizations continue to implement initiatives that address these obstacles, provide support and resources, and promote a more inclusive and equitable political environment. By doing so, we can create a more diverse and representative political system that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of all members of society.

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