Parliament’s gender balance: Is a gender quota system the best way to get more women into Parliament? New Zealand
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What is it about the “woman question” that drives so many pundits and politicians to despair in New Zealand? To call the all-women shortlist a “man ban” shows how clearly many of them see politics as being all about them, men.
Thinking about it, when have men ever been banned from politics? Such a claim is surely the preserve of women: banned as voters in national elections until 1893; banned as parliamentary candidates until 1919; in effect banned as Labour parliamentarians until 1933, and as National parliamentarians until 1945. Women’s representation didn’t reach double figures until 1984, when 10 Labour and two National MPs were elected out of a total of 95.
We invite you to read the full article published July 11 2013
What is it about the “woman question” that drives so many pundits and politicians to despair in New Zealand? To call the all-women shortlist a “man ban” shows how clearly many of them see politics as being all about them, men.
Thinking about it, when have men ever been banned from politics? Such a claim is surely the preserve of women: banned as voters in national elections until 1893; banned as parliamentary candidates until 1919; in effect banned as Labour parliamentarians until 1933, and as National parliamentarians until 1945. Women’s representation didn’t reach double figures until 1984, when 10 Labour and two National MPs were elected out of a total of 95.
We invite you to read the full article published July 11 2013