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Division of Labor in Politics

As we have discussed in class, society is constantly being bombarded by lessons about

biological sex and its connection to masculinity and femininity. The social constructs that arise

from theories on gender norms become deeply ingrained and inform our daily lives, laws,

interactions, self-perception, policies, as well as our society at large. Throughout history,

communities have been ruled by patriarchal political systems (Scott, 1999). These political

systems, combined with cultural and socioeconomic factors, have greatly contributed to the

enormous gender gap and degree of gender inequality in political representation around the

world (Kenworthy & Malami, 1999).

While men dominate the political sphere in most of the world, Iceland has proven itself to

be an example for the rest of the world by enforcing new policies to minimize the gender gap in

political platforms. Iceland is the first country to democratically elect a woman president in

1980, and forty percent of corporate boards must be women (Klasen & Lamanna, 2009), as a

matter of Icelandic law. While these facts may seem simple, Klasen and Lamanna (2009) believe

they have greatly informed cultural beliefs and actions towards Icelandic women and the

decrease of harsh gender roles and inequality among the sexes in Iceland. While Iceland has

made so much progress in achieving gender equality, America still struggles in regards to having

women gaining a stronger voice in our political system. To wit, America has yet to elect a female

president, and there are no laws regulating the inclusion of women in political roles, or among

corporate boards. To this point, while women make up fifty-two percent of the population, only

a mere twenty percent of Congress is made up of women (Klasen & Lamanna, 2009).

The lack of all gender representation is not only a travesty when looking at politics, but it

impacts many other areas of American life. Research on gender and politics suggest there exist
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significant inequalities in political involvement as well as in the quality of deliberation, interest,

representation, and legitimacy in the demographic process for females. Kittilson (2006) Kitterson

concludes that the cause of this lack of female political involvement is complex but names

several interrelated factors such as unequal resources, the lack historically of equal economic

opportunity, cultural and family, socialization, and the rough and tumble demands of our

polarized political system as reasons that females roles are diminished in the American political

system.

The over-representation of men is not only problematic alone but the under-

representation of women in politics acts as an obstacle to equality and sustainable development

for women. The lack of women’s participation in politics has been fairly universal in America,

and it has perpetuated a a nation where men have historically been perceived as and treated as

dominant to their female counterparts. This creates an opportunity for gender inequality to spread

into other spheres, effecting much more than the division of labor in politics (Woolcock, 1998).

Moving forward, I think we should borrow ideas from other countries like Iceland that create

policies to minimize gender inequities. I do not like the possible gender binary that may arise

from mandating a specific amount of men and women in congress, as it does not seem to allow

space for individuals who do not identify as “male,” or “female.”

I think it is time we take steps to make sure everyone’s voices are heard. This

representation would ideally represent a sense of empowerment for future generations to learn

from. Other seemingly simple policies could greatly impact the division of labor. For example,

requiring places of work to offer childcare services and proper maternity leaves could help

parents take care of their children while knowing their careers are secure. We could borrow

Iceland’s idea that within approximately ten years fifty percent of corporate boards should be
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female, stronger legislation should insist that men and women be paid the same for the same jobs

and that individuals perusing work should not be discriminated on based on gender or sexuality.

Legislation should allow for longer paid leave for mothers, and women should be encouraged at

all ages to explore academic fields such as political science and the law which are entry

pathways for politics. Caring for everyone, including women, should be a necessity, not a

privilege or added bonus.

References

Kenworthy, L., & Malami, M. (1999). Gender inequality in political representation: A

worldwide comparative analysis. Social Forces, 78(1), 235-268.

Kittilson, M. C. (2006). Challenging parties, changing parliaments: Women and elected office

in contemporary Western Europe. Ohio State University Press.

Klasen, S., & Lamanna, F. (2009). The impact of gender inequality in education an

employment on economic growth: new evidence for a panel of countries. Feminist

economics, 15(3), 91-132.

Sanbonmatsu, K. (2003). Gender-related political knowledge and the descriptive representation

of women. Political Behavior, 25(4), 367-388.

Scott, J. W. (1999). Gender and the Politics of History. Columbia University Press.

Woolcock, M. (1998). Social capital and economic development: Toward a theoretical synthesis

and policy framework. Theory and society, 27(2), 151-208.