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Why we need Gender Equality Week

The words ‘better late than never’ came to mind as last Sunday saw the launch of Oxford’s first ever Gender Equality Week. Considering it is nearly 50 years since the original women’s colleges were granted full collegiate status, it might not seem unrealistic to hope gender inequality in Oxford was a thing of the past. Unfortunately a brief look through the issues raised by the schedule of events tells otherwise.

Workshops encouraging women to get involved in all forms of student politics highlight a significant problem in Oxford. Though full of capable, intelligent women, there is a massive deficit of representation at the core of most prominent organisations. The Union, OUSU and many of the political societies seem to have performed a feat of time travel and returned to an era where women take on gender-specific roles and not much else.
The Positive Discrimination debate on Wednesday was a reminder that this matter goes further than the University. In parliament, only 20% of MPs are women. Considering the fact that women have now tipped the balance to make up 51% of the UK population, this can hardly be called representative. Yet there seemed a noticeable reserve in the chamber and a lack of willingness to face the matter head on. The same slogans and jargons were bandied around as have been heard so many times. But for all the talk, where is the action?

To really change these inherent imbalances requires more than altered rules and constitutions. It will need a shift of attitudes. The knowledge of the opportunity will not be enough to cause more women to run for an election; of any sort. Whilst women have all but gained equality on paper, they do not experience it. The saying goes that ‘it’s a man’s world’ and in many cases this is still true. Women are caught in the middle. If they act as a man would, they will be treated as overly hostile and aggressive. If they act in a feminine way, they may be brushed aside or even condemned for ‘exploiting their femininity’. A woman in politics must forsake any identity beyond that of the politician itself. Personal lives always face scrutiny, but the criticism meted to women is often far more judgemental, or even spiteful, than that faced by men.

Consider for a moment the US elections – whose family did you know the most about? Quite possibly Palin’s, teen pregnancies and all – but would the same deluge of criticism have befallen a male candidate? Equally, though denigration of her $150,000 expenses bill may not have been unwarranted, this type of expenditure wasn’t entirely inexplicable. Though comments on the dowdiness, datedness or daring of women politicians clothing are common enough, it is doubtful whether anyone even noticed Obama’s most recent choice of suit. At the other extreme, after the French election Nicolas Sarkozy issued briefcases to all his MPs containing complementary grey tie regardless of gender. Perhaps this is symbolic of the identity confusion women still face in the political arena.

Gender Equality Week was a fantastic opportunity to discuss these problems and encourage them to be addressed head-on. Unfortunately though, whilst women can be enabled to act, the responses to those actions are somewhat beyond their control. Gender identity should not need to be sacrificed in order to succeed. Equality does not and should not imply uniformity – as many think it does. Women and men are not the same, so they should not be expected to act the same.

Until the political process and all the speculation and criticism attached to it concede to this, the true aims of the Week will not have been achieved.

 

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