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Today, women are more visible, more powerful, and in greater numbers than ever in recorded history. In many countries, they have the vote and the right to work or own property. They receive more schooling, live longer, and are increasingly represented at all levels of government and in many different professions. However, global progress for women is too slow. Even before the recent ‘#Metoo’ movement, the media was reporting a marked increase in the number of women choosing political careers. In 2017, a third of the newly elected members of America’s House of Representatives were female, and there are now more than 100 female senators across the world. According to the international organization Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), this is the highest ever number in history.
This trend of slow change is hard to break. Many women are still reluctant to put themselves forward for public life. Institutions may adopt positive discrimination practices, but these still have limited impact, and in some cases merely draw attention towards the very fact that there is a lack of women. Women in politics are sometimes targeted for violence and harassment in the community, at home, and work. Women are also subject to more subtle forms of discrimination, like being portrayed as weak or less intelligent than men during campaigns.
Some fear this discourages women from running for office. There are cases, too, where women have not received support from political parties because of their gender. Despite these obstacles, women continue to contest and win elections around the world. In The She 100, we celebrate 100 women who have broken through political glass ceilings in 80 countries over two years from 2012 to 2014. Women who enter politics can sometimes face the greatest challenges. One such challenge is campaigning for votes, which can be expensive and time-consuming, and comes with many risks. Campaigning encourages some people, especially the more extreme members of society, to commit acts of violence against women candidates.
Research shows that quotas cannot be considered a panacea: they must be backed up with training, support programs, public awareness campaigns, and other measures to increase women’s engagement in politics. However, the experience of quota systems around the world has also shown they can help break down barriers without having detrimental long-term effects on political institutions or party dynamics. Women now constitute the majority of the world’s agricultural population and about three-quarters of the world’s poor live in rural areas where women play a vital role.