Reconsidering Gender and Women in Politics

Čičkarić, Lilijana (2015) Reconsidering Gender and Women in Politics. South-East European Journal of Political Science, 3 (1). pp. 95-105. ISSN 2286-4547 eISSN 2392-814X

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Abstract

The most common problems that are placed in the center of the study of political representation are related to the following questions - why do not more women in legislative bodies always result in a policy that is gender sensitive and receptive to women? Why does the statistical presence of women not facilitate their cooperation and coalition among representatives of different political parties? The key issue is that higher inclusion of women in political bodies, has to result in changing the masculine way of doing politics and modes of representation. The low level of women's participation in political and public life resulted, primarily, from socio-economic conditions, gender segregation in the labor market, the gender wage gap and the feminisation of poverty. No less significant group of factors is the level of education, professional affiliation, and social capital of the family, which determine the level of interest and women’s individual capacity building to involve in politics. Political factors have a major influence on the level and scope of the political participation of women. In the first place, it is the manner in which the issue of gender equality is interpreted and treated in political parties. When we look at politicians in Serbia, we omen to the conclusion that women in politics have a problem with a lack of presence in the media and lack of notoriety. They are represented in the Assembly and in several executive positions, however, the impact of the "glass ceiling" as a form of vertical segregation is clearly recognizable. Informal and unwritten rules that prevent women to enrol in the most responsible executive functions and achieve greater power in political life are still present.

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