Featuring…
Members of PSA Women and Politics group say ‘The problem is not with women but with the political parties’
Claire Annesley, Rosie Campbell, Sarah Childs, Catherine Durose, Elizabeth Evans, Francesca Gains, Meryl Kenny, Fiona Mackay, Rainbow Murray, Liz Richardson and other members of the UK Political Studies Association (PSA) Women and Politics group.
This last week has seen the issue of women’s representation in Parliament hit the headlines, once again: Samantha Cameron apparently lamented the lack of women in politics to her husband; mid-week, job-shares for MPs were put forward as a new way to increase the number of women in the UK Parliament and there have been calls for quotas for the National Assembly for Wales. Over the weekend the Liberal Democrats launched two inquiries into the alleged sexual harassment of prospective women candidates and this Monday the 2013Sex and Power Report was published, documenting the ‘shocking’ absence of women from all areas of public life. The findings of Sex and Power may be ‘shocking’ but they did not come as a shock to feminists. Enough is enough, it’s time that the Coalition Government stepped up and implemented the recommendations of the 2008-10 Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary Representation…. (click link above for full article)
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Member blogs
Our members specialize in a wide-range of topics. Please explore their blogs for more interesting topics and research.
Political commentary by Dr. Rainbow Murray (outgoing Women and Politics Convenor)
The Qualitative Election Study of Britain by Dr. Kristi Winters
Gender Politics at Edinburgh
Video links
What About Women in London? Opens window with Quicktime PlayerRecorded on 23 April 2012 in Old Theatre, Old Building.Speaker(s): Victoria Borwick, Jenny Jones, Ken Livingstone, Brian Paddick Chair: Ceri Goddard In the run up to the London mayoral elections, the Fawcett Society has invited the leading mayoral campaigns to debate what they will do for London’s four million women…This event will allow the audience to hear from the leading campaigns and ask: What About Women?
Permanent links to member publications and our popular posts
Women’s Legislative Recruitment: no simple explanation, no single panacea (electoral-reform.org.uk) by Rosie Campbell & Sarah Childs
Five myths about female voters (washingtonpost.com)
Why London’s mayoral elections matter so much to women (CNN)
Playing Politics With Poli Sci (insidehighered.com)
British Politics and women voters:
Leaked memo on support from women for the coalition government 13 September 2011 (The Guardian) Document, marked ‘restricted-policy’, on how to get more support from women was written by officials in Number 10 and circulated to government departments
Paul
June 18, 2012 at 20:50
Dr Evans & Dr Winters
Through my years of just reading current & past history, antiquity, & news events, It never ceases to amaze me of the obvious. The feminine half of the human race has had to endure the never ending control & anger (& misdirected pride) from a certain masculine portion of the human race. Those of us men who do support women as equal partners, know that nurturing, listening & respecting women & their value is an aspect of human social evolution that should be a given.
But I know we men haven’t gone far enough to stress it absolutely clear & necessary to those men with violence, control & anger problems with women that this will no longer be tolerated – now or into the future.
Just basic reading into history points out the subjugation & lack of freedom for women occuring
over hundreds of centuries. I am at a loss as to why, practically each day during this incredible length of time – & up to the present – there is a war, skimish or fighting somewhere in the world that includes violence, rape & death against women & children. Even during the recent times of
‘ civilized society ‘, second-class treatment was the norm, with no property rights & limited ability to be allowed to express opinions, much less vote in certain societies. And no less forced into prostitution, by threat or to somehow support oneself (I understand there was a staggering number of abortions in the 1890s).
Here in the States, I’ve seen more news recently re the encouragement of women to run for political office – not as political ideology absolutists, but to work together to face mounting problems, compromising reasonably to get things done. (In the 2008 campaign, an elderly man came out from primary voting & muttered to the press ” I think it’s time to let women in there & set
things right. The men sure can’t do it “).
Mistreatment & violence century after century. And misguided institutions run by men ignoring women’s basic human rights. Even physicians (up until the last two decades) relying their medical research on the male body alone. And, today, it was reported a girl was beheaded by her father due to her ‘ lifestyle ‘.
But there are men that will do literally anything to respect, love, nurture & be there for women no matter what the human cost.
Doing the expected, right things for women will take more time than we’d like.
But the steps you’re taking encourage those of us that know something must be done in order to have a secure future for women around the world . . .
psawomenpolitics
June 20, 2012 at 10:58
Dear Paul, thank you for the kind words and encouraging post.
Lateral Love Australia
October 17, 2012 at 14:11
We would like to sincerely thank you for following Lateral Love Australia. Our primary aim is to get people talking about Lateral Violence to enable contemplation about the opposite which is Lateral Love; to encourage thoughts on how we can all go about instilling this into the lives of our children and loved ones so that they will be able to identify Lateral Violence and Racism when they are confronted by it by having in place some strategies and coping mechanisms to repel these incidents from a position of knowledge and cultural strength. In doing so we hope to encourage and nurture our children and grandchildren, the future leaders of this world away from the deadly depths of despair that we currently face particularly here in Australia within our Aboriginal and Islander communities in regard to child and youth suicide. So once again, thank you! We are humbled by your follow and enriched through your support. Yours in Unity through Lateral Love & Spirit of Care for all Humankind ~ Brian, Nicola and The Lateral Love Team 2012
Blaine Shranka
December 12, 2012 at 21:34
Hello there,
With the elections having passed and the ongoing implementation of healthcare reform, women’s access to contraception is all over the news. Setting the politics aside, did you know that many unplanned pregnancies – and abortions – are the result of not using birth control or using it incorrectly?
Have a look at our recent Everyday Health infogram that uses visualizes a report out of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/free-birth-control-can-reduce-abortion-rates.aspx
We encourage you to share this on psawomenpolitics.wordpress.com, and would be happy to give you a Follow Friday shout out to our 100,000+ Twitter fans.
Let me know if you would like me to send over the attachment!
Warmly,
Blaine
The Savvy Senorita
February 20, 2013 at 17:15
Hi, I have nominated you for ‘Very Inspiring Blogger Award’. Your site is just that; inspiring and a wealth of information. I enjoy reading your posts and feel you deserve to be recognised as an inspiration. Thanks Bex
If you are interested in the nomination then please look at the link to my post to explain the rules: Award Nomination For You