Gender Inequality and Differences: Women Role in Political Representation
Gender Inequality and Differences: Women Role in Political Representation
I. INTRODUCTION
The area of gender studies is predominantly a matter of describing, analyzing, and evaluating the power configuration between the male and female populations that exists in various societies. Even the socio-economic dimensions of female population relating to employment, education, health, income, and status are inseparable from women’s access to positions in power structure. A major mechanism of such women’s access to power is their representation in various sources of power such as property and wealth, political and administrative position, education and knowledge, corporate ownership and control, and construction of social norms and perception. Without recognizing women’s representation in these sources of power the understanding of issues or concerns related to gender may remain parochial, prejudiced and often misleading. Power is a fundamental component of gender. In fact, gender has been conceived as the sexual division of power and any major shift in power is likely to include corresponding changes in gender relations (Miller 2001). Despite cultural variations, there is a consistent difference between women’s and men’s gender roles based in power that is access to productive resources and ability to exercise decision-making authority. The power imbalance that defines gender relations influences women’s access to and control over resources their visibility and participation in social and political affairs and their ability to realize their fundamental human rights.
However, unlike the common interpretation of social power based on politico-economic parameters the study of gender representation in various realms of power structure including public governance must take into account the socio-cultural determinants of power. It is because while the unequal representation of different classes or income groups is largely shaped by factors such as property ownership,
I. INTRODUCTION
The area of gender studies is predominantly a matter of describing, analyzing, and evaluating the power configuration between the male and female populations that exists in various societies. Even the socio-economic dimensions of female population relating to employment, education, health, income, and status are inseparable from women’s access to positions in power structure. A major mechanism of such women’s access to power is their representation in various sources of power such as property and wealth, political and administrative position, education and knowledge, corporate ownership and control, and construction of social norms and perception. Without recognizing women’s representation in these sources of power the understanding of issues or concerns related to gender may remain parochial, prejudiced and often misleading. Power is a fundamental component of gender. In fact, gender has been conceived as the sexual division of power and any major shift in power is likely to include corresponding changes in gender relations (Miller 2001). Despite cultural variations, there is a consistent difference between women’s and men’s gender roles based in power that is access to productive resources and ability to exercise decision-making authority. The power imbalance that defines gender relations influences women’s access to and control over resources their visibility and participation in social and political affairs and their ability to realize their fundamental human rights.
However, unlike the common interpretation of social power based on politico-economic parameters the study of gender representation in various realms of power structure including public governance must take into account the socio-cultural determinants of power. It is because while the unequal representation of different classes or income groups is largely shaped by factors such as property ownership,