Women's Political Representation Matters
FemWealth Issue #19
Happy Sunday, FemWealth Friends!
More than a century after they have gained the right to vote in many parts of the world, women are still underrepresented in politics. According to UN Women, the political representation of women globally has doubled in the last 25 years, yet women hold only 1 in 4 parliamentary seats. Less than 30 countries have a woman head of state or government.
Gender equality plays a central role in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with many targets specifically recognizing women's equality and empowerment as both the objective and as part of the solution. Goal 5, to "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls," is a stand-alone gender goal.
A record of 143 countries have guaranteed gender equality in their Constitutions by 2014, but another 52 had not taken this step. Despite women representing 50% of the world's population, they are still in the minority in political fora at all levels, from local councils to national parliaments, governments, and international organizations.
Women politicians aren't perfect, nor should they be expected to be, especially given the existing power structures. Indeed, politicians like Margaret Thatcher, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Africa's first elected female president), and Aung San Suu Kyi (ousted Myanmar leader) have complicated legacies rooted in their specific political contexts.
In countries where women are equal pillars of society, when they win elections, everyone wins. Equal representation leads to better prioritization of public policies and a more fair allocation of public resources that reflect the general population's needs. Women politicians prioritize public health, education, sustainable economic development, environmental protection, and peacebuilding in countries torn by war.
Yet, women face more adversity than their male colleagues when they stand for elections or while in office. They are frequently silenced in the political fora, harassed on social media, misrepresented in the press, and judged on their physical appearance rather than assessed on their political decisions and actions. How can we accelerate equal political representation?
In today's edition of FemWealth, meet some of the most remarkable political leaders who champion gender equality and women's active participation in politics:
Vigdis Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland (served between 1980-1996), and first democratically elected female head of state
We need women in power – in society, when women have a voice, everything changes.
When she was elected President in 1980, Vigdis Finnbogadóttir became Iceland’s first female leader and the first woman in the world to be democratically elected President. She served for four terms and paved the way for new generations of women to enter politics.
At the beginning of her first mandate, women made up only 5% of parliamentarians. Nowadays, Iceland has one of the most gender-equal parliaments and one of the highest levels of political representation globally. The country is ranked the most gender-equal country in the world by the World Economic Forum for the 12th time.
After she retired from national politics, Finnbogadóttir served as President of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (1997–2001). She is a co-founder of the Council of Women World Leaders, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and at the age of 91, still an unwavering advocate for equal representation.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women
If anything works for women, in any country, it is most likely to work for most people. If you want to address the majority of the people who really need you, target women.
Born and raised in South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, joined the struggle to end apartheid and reshape her country as a young teacher. Later she served in parliament, in ministerial roles, and as Deputy President of her country. She devoted her career to human rights, equality, and social justice, bringing new perspectives to the country's priorities, combatting poverty, and bringing the advantages of a growing economy to the poor, with a particular focus on women.
In 2013 she became the Executive Director of UN Women, with a rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General. In this position, she leads the organization's efforts towards genders equality. One of the most notable initiatives convened by UN Women is the Generation Equality Forum co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, in partnership with youth and civil society, to accelerate progress on gender equality. The Forum launched a 5-year action journey to achieve irreversible progress towards gender equality, founded on a series of concrete, ambitious and transformative actions, including $40 Billion in financial commitments.
In mid-August 2021, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will complete her second and last term as Executive Director of UN Women.
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, former President of Chile
I understand the people I speak to in my current job, because I've been in their shoes: I've been arbitrarily detained. I've experienced enforced disappearance
Following the 1973 coup that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende, Michelle Bachelet's father, an Air Force official, was imprisoned and later died of cardiac arrest. A medical student at the time, Bachelet and her mother continued working, advocating, and increasing awareness of what was happening in the country.
In 1975 they were taken to a clandestine jail. After being detained for several weeks, they were permitted to go to Australia, where Bachelet's brother lived. Later, she moved to East Germany, where she started her family and continued her medical studies.
Upon returning to Chile in 1979, she resumed her studies. She started her career in public health and supported her country's transition to democracy. In 2000 she was appointed Health Minister. She became Defence Minister, in 2002, the first woman in Latin America to hold the position (and the fifth worldwide).
In 2006 she was elected the first female President of Chile. The achievements during her two mandates (2006–10; 2014–18) include addressing the socio-economic inequalities, education and tax reforms, the creation of the National Institute for Human Rights and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, the establishment of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality, the adoption of quotas to increase women's political participation, and the approval of Civil Union Act legislation, granting rights to same-sex couples and thus, advancing LGBT rights.
In 2011, she was named the first Executive Director of UN Women. During her two years tenure, she focused on economic empowerment and ending violence against women.
In her current role as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (since 2018), she denounces human rights abuses, is "the voice of the voiceless," and engages member states in protecting, promoting, and ensuring human rights.
Women Politicians, Political and Human Rights Activists to Follow:
Ursula von der Leyen - President of the European Commission, the first woman to serve as Germany’s minister of defense (2013–19)
Kamala Harris - US Vice President, the first female and first black and Asian American to be nominated in this role
Angela Merkel - Chancellor of Germany
Katrín Jakobsdóttir - Prime Minister of Iceland and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders
Sanna Marin - Prime Minister of Finland
Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New Zealand
Ana Brnabic - Prime Minister of Serbia, the first woman and LGBTQ person in Serbia to hold this position
Ingrida Šimonytė - Prime Minister of Lithuania
Maia Sandu - First female President of Moldova
Salome Zourabichvili - First female President of Georgia
Sahle-Work Zewde - President of Ethiopia
Nicola Sturgeon - First Minister of Scotland
Sabina Orellana - Indigenous leader, feminist, and activist, Bolivia’s first Minister of Cultures, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization
Fawzia Koofi - Women’s rights activist and parliamentarian, the first woman to be second deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly; one of four women representing the Afghan government in the negotiations with the Taliban
Anne Hidalgo - Mayor of Paris
Amina Mohammed - Deputy Secretary-General of the UN
Dr. Natalia Kanem - Executive Director UNFPA
Julia Gillard - Prime Minister of Australia (2010 - 2013), Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Kings College London, and Member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Chlöe Swarbrick, MP for Auckland Central, New Zealand
Ai-jen Poo - Co-founder of Supermajority, a women's equality organization made up of women from all backgrounds, races and ages
Alicia Garza - Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and Supermajority
Aimee Allison - Founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the political power of women of color
Patrisse Cullors - Artist, activist, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and founder and chair of Reform LA Jails
Opal Tometi - Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and former executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Erin Loos Cutraro - Founder of She Should Run, an organization that aims to get 250,000 women to run for public office in the United States by 2030
Lucina Di Meco - Women's rights advocate., gendered disinformation evangelist, co-founder of #ShePersisted Global
Hajer Sharief - Libyan Peace and Human Rights activist and founder of Together We Build It organization
Jhesmin L. Solis Peña - Bolivian Activist for sexual and reproductive rights, indigenous peoples’ rights, women’s rights, and the rights of nature
Chamathya Fernando - Sri Lankan Youth activist and advocate against gender-based violence
Get to know more activists part of the Generation Equality Forum
Organizations that support women’s political representation:
UN Women - UN body tasked with accelerating progress in achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Council of Women World Leaders - an independent, self-governing network of current and former women Prime Ministers and Presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland (1980-1996), the first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, Mary Robinson, the President of Ireland (1990-1997), and Laura Liswood, Secretary-General. The network includes 83 current and former presidents and prime ministers and is the only organization in the world dedicated to women heads of state and government.
Women Political Leaders (WPL) - the global network of female politicians on a mission to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions.
📣 Learn more about Women’s Representation in Politics:
Subscribe to #WomenLead, a newsletter about Women in Politics curated by Akshi Chawla
📚 Support the publication of WOMEN WHO WON by author and former political journalist Ros Ball
WOMEN WHO WON will profile 70 amazing elected women from the last 100 years and every single one will leave you wondering why you didn’t know her story before.
✍️ Sign the petition to support equality in the venture capital ecosystem 💸
FemWealth Curated News
With a $57 Million Raise, Anu Duggal’s Female Founders Fund Is Now the Largest Seed Fund for Women - LPs include Melinda Gates's Pivotal Ventures, Anne Wojcicki, and Susan Wojcicki
Sifted has published a list of 100+ Female Angel Investors in Europe
Renegade Ventures, co-founded by Renata Quintini (Lux Capital) and Roseanne Wincek (Canaan Partners), raised its maiden fund at $100M with a stage/sector-agnostic approach.
UK-based Eka Ventures closes $95M Impact VC fund for sustainable consumption, healthcare and society
The Gender Divide in Transport Is Starting to Crumble
Thank you for reading FemWealth! I hope you find the inspiration to encourage women’s political representation and maybe run for office one day!
Wish you an amazing week ahead!
Anamaria
Founder and Writer @FemWealth