The presence and voice of women in the political process is nothing new.
LONDON – With less than a week ahead of the UK General Election on May 7, parties are making a concerted effort to appeal to women, who gained the right to vote 87-years ago under The Equal Franchise Act of 1928 and who, today, make up 52% of the British electorate.
The presence and voice of women in British politics is nothing new, beginning with Countess Constance de Markievicz, the first woman elected to Parliament in 1918 (although she did not take her seat at the time), and marked more recently by the eleven year rule of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, ending in May 1979.
Yet polls continue to indicate disillusionment among the younger generation regarding the overall political process.
Perhaps one of the more iconic symbols reflecting changing times is an Election 2015 photo from the debate on the BBC where Ed Miliband (Labour) was left out of a group hug between Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party), Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru), and Natalie Bennet (Green Party).
Even worse, gender identities are often sidelined with women (and men) engaging only if they reflect established cultural and institutional norms; many of which neither appeal to women in general, nor to many men either.
The Suffragette Movement Continues
Almost 100-years and 25 general elections after women won the right to vote, groups of determined campaigners are fighting to finish the job started by the suffragettes.
So begins The Equality Movement, founded by communications psychologist Anita Nayyar who, in talking with OnIslam.net, explained that, “The Equality Movement is something I have always wanted to set up. The marketing and advertising industry create some of the most beautiful and compelling arguments to consumers about even the most obscure of products. Along with Anna and Juliet who conceived the movement with me, we thought, 'why don't we use our skills of persuasion to create awareness about issues that matter to people but that perhaps don't get enough air time?’
“Gender equality seemed like a no-brainer to start with, in the run up to the elections. Both the female vote and the family vote have been dropping for years. One in five women in the UK has suffered some form of sexist discrimination in her work life. Fifty thousand women are estimated to have been asked to leave their jobs when they have become pregnant. And now men are feeling what female new parents have experienced for decades, they have a new right to take up to 6 months leave to parent a newborn.
“But one in five men say that their boss would be actively opposed to them taking this leave. Women only hold twenty-two percent of parliamentary seats and only six percent of exec positions on FTSE100 companies. For a nation who believes so strongly in gender equality, that's pretty poor.
“We spoke to both men and women and one thing was very clear; in working people's lives the employer holds a lot of influence over whether Britain will treat men and women with equal regard.
“One woman's story was horrific, she had a miscarriage. When her boss discovered this he did not console her but instead fired her 'in case she get[s] pregnant again'. She was a top performing exec. The loss was on him as she went on to set up her own business.”
Joining Forces
 |
| A group hug between Nicola Stugeon (Scottish National Party), Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru) and Natalie Bennet (Green Party). |
The Equality Movement offers a unique example of how Muslims and non-Muslims can work together for the benefit of their country.
“I'm one of only 2 Muslims involved in this project. We have been 20 in total, a mixture of Muslims, Christians atheists and probably other religions I am unaware of!” Nayyar said.
“The most important thing we have looked for and valued in the people we have involved are the shared values of wanting to do something to make the world a better place; to create a campaign for the well-being of people. Everyone involved fulfills and exceeds that [criterion]; having shared values is how we work together.”
Moreover, the Equality Movement has been regarded as delivering a model that can be used elsewhere in the Muslim world.
“Absolutely. We know as Muslims that the principles we abide by can be very beneficial to society. We should not be arrogant about this but instead consider that many non-Muslims share these principles too,” she said.
“Where we have an idea that would contribute to social good, we should involve non-Muslims. Working together is the best way to defeat stereotypes and build bonds. Leading projects like these is a great way to leave lasting impressions that defeat media stereotypes.
“This project has allowed me to get close enough to my non-Muslim colleagues that they have been able to openly and trustingly ask me about some of the stereotypes that are spun about Muslims. I, in turn, have been able to enlighten those people about the facts behind the stereotypes. And our relationships have been all the better for it.”
Juliet Pascall, who holds a master in Research Psychology and serves as a co-founder of 'incling' – which specializes in branding – and is also a part of the Equality Movement team, praised Nayyar’s collective efforts.
“Personally, I hope the Equality Movement gives a voice to everyday people from all backgrounds and encourages them to engage with and challenge some of the accepted gender norms that they live with,” Pascall told OnIslam.net.
She added, “Sadly, gender inequality is so embedded into society that it is often considered normal and acceptable, or at its worst, tolerated. There is also a stigma attached to speaking out against gender inequality, so not only is it tolerated but it’s often tolerated in silence!
“For example one member talking about her experience at work told us ‘when they found out I was pregnant I was called Nelly, Fatso and told in sales meetings that anyone else coming in here pregnant will have it scraped out of them…..staff refused to say anything for fear of losing their jobs’.”
Needed Effort
Pascall sees the Equality Movement as a necessity in her community.
“When you live in a world where women with full-time jobs only earn about seventy-seven percent of their male counterparts’ earnings (White House), only make up less than five percent of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies (Catalyst), one in three are likely to be victims of intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO), and up to fifteen million girls will be child brides every year – I think the need should be blatantly obvious. The facts are so clear we (both men and women) should feel obliged to change the status quo,” she said.
Elaborating, Pascall added that, “Gender inequality affects women and men across race and religion so this is first and foremost a gender initiative. We are fortunate enough to have a very diverse team (some religious, some not, some Muslim, some Christian), working on the Equality Movement who all bring different viewpoints and perspectives to the table.
“Even though I would not define myself as particularly religious (I am going through an ‘undecided’ phase at the moment), I was raised Christian so [I] have found it very interesting and fulfilling to work with a team of people with different religious backgrounds.”
Angeles Reyes Ridgeley, International Consultant for Alegriatwork, who is also a member of the Equality Movement team, stated that the project united all religions and faiths under one umbrella that does not differentiate between them.
“I see it as a wide gender initiative, I actually hadn't thought about any religious motivation in it, and now that you mention it, I wonder what the religions of the other members of the team are,” Ridgeley told OnIslam.net.
“We are inclusive, we come from love for this country and its people, we want to make a difference to people that we'll never meet and from all backgrounds, so I guess that's pretty spiritual and with values shared by all religions.
When asked why this is needed Ridgeley wrote: “I think this project is essential and I hope it grows exponentially, to stop people experiencing social trends as personal failures or even tragedies. The moment people realize that their lack of achievement, financial success or even safety aren't their fault or the proof that they are inadequate at some level, but the result of a system that has lots of blind spots and is very constrictive in how one can develop one's potential, we can start transforming our society to ensure our children grow into gentle and accomplished human beings.
“If it helps, I can tell you my background is Catholic, and all my values as such are expressed in this project, but my practice and my passing on of my values to my daughter [doesn't] include attending church, as I disagree with many things the institution as such does. My point: Anita (who's Muslim) and I, surely have more in common than what I have in common with Catholic churchgoers from my background.”
“As a woman, it breaks my heart to see that we are divided and classified by so many things like nationality, skin color, religion, class, even weight or age, when we have so much in common and we could help each other if we allowed for empathy with one another. Together we can transform the world in no time; it's a matter of starting to trust each other.”
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment