Pantsuit Politics
- Olivia Toye
- Feb 22, 2017
- 4 min read
Illustration by Daniel Tyminski
It is a fact of life that there’s a 77 per cent gender gap in global political empowerment and that in our own progressive democracy (um quite) only 191 out of 650 standing politicians are female.
It most definitely shouldn’t be, but the patriarchy strikes again. That is (despite our frustrated efforts and the unintentional acceptance of male hegemony) the mindset that has been allowed to swallow up over half the population for eons. A half that is represented by only one fifth of parliamentarians. How, with the centenary of our sash-wielding suffragettes next year, are we still lurking in the shadows of our male counterparts?
In the spirit of birthdays, there’s a new kid on the block. The Women’s Equality Party, the feminist baby of Sandy Toksvig and Catherine Meyer, is celebrating it’s first birthday at Women of the World (the International Women’s Day celebrations at the Southbank Centre).
They’re a self-proclaimed "collaborative force". Their membership figures prove the "collaborative" but their actions don’t quite yet support the "force". But after all, they do have an archaic system to override. The lowly sum of 450 female MPs have sat in our great kingdom’s seats historically… less than the current cabinet’s male cohort.
A jeering house of misogyny, greying on top, swelling at the midriff, and dismissing their female counterparts with scoffs and heckles. An all boys club that does little to accept the women who get through the initiation, and even less to encourage their success.
The last woman to hold a serious and long-standing role in UK parliament (yes, Thatcher) in her austere working class glory, was practically booed into her grave. Theresa May’s position was a fluke, not of democratic favour but of a quick-fix solution to a disgraced and pathetic Cameron. Dianne James, the inclusion of whom is based purely on democratic principles, lasted 18 days as leader of UKIP. And unfortunately the only people who take the Green’s leading ladies seriously, are the Greens themselves.
But regardless of political affiliations, policy ideas, or even pantsuit style (which has become of catastrophic importance to some) women, as a whole, must be taken more seriously as representatives.
Three of the top five Google search results for ‘female politicians’ are: "The best looking female politicians", "Top 25 gorgeous women in politics", "Dressed to kill…the hottest politicians." (This is probably a good time to nod to the Fourth Estate, riddled with it’s own sexism; sexual objectification is almost scripture for a piece on any high profile women. Stupid is as stupid does perhaps?)
It’s the condescending term "low politics" to describe the hormone fuelled, emotionally quivering political interests of women. The introduction of which has crept out from behind the cloak of political darkness enveloping the UK - otherwise known as the EU Referendum.
It’s the 45th President of the United States.
And in this uncertain, and frankly quite terrifying time of political disarray (making no particular reference to grabbing anyone by the pussy, ever) the position of women in the political sphere is a vital one. And on home turf that very vitality has been bottled up in form of the Women’s Equality Party.
The WEP is, above all, a frustratingly necessary group of relatable female pioneers striding into the mahogany clad dungeons of UK politics. Now what are normal women, with real life experience (not in the shape of a PPE from Oxford and a stint in daddy’s law firm), with a vision for equality, and a disregard for petty party games, going to achieve?
The odds are seemingly against them but they have over 65,000 members in their first year of existence. No seats, true, but they’re growing. Leader Sophie Walker took one in twenty of London Mayoral voters; her total 5.2 per cent was pipped by UKIP’s 6.6 per cent. An oxymoron at best.
Is it wise to enter the game with no affiliation to the axel of beliefs? Left a bit, right a bit, to you, to me. The pantomime that is running a country is based upon where you sit on that line… In fact, it’s better than wise, it’s an excellent idea; cut the party politics bullshit.
For now, we live in a soft glow of hope. But the traditions of the institution will cling on to the last lifeless peer snoring in the Lords. Not even Maggie with her draconian policy could stop the peers in her playground from pushing her out.
We need not mention the Hillary Clinton fiasco in detail, for fear of igniting a fire that has only just gone out. As much as one may contest the content of her emails, and the continual probe from an equally questionable Federal Bureau, her message – intended or not – is clear. She was the popular vote proving there is a place for women at the top.
Thatcher, May, and Clinton are really the only examples we have. Crikey. Maybe the WEP are needed more than we think.
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