Left: Vice-President of the CPA Africa Region and Speaker of the Gauteng Leg- islature, Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, MPL, (left) ; Right: Sen. Helen Polley of Australia.
of female representatives elected. Powerful and effective results can be achieved through the use of a good agenda, even with a small percentage of representatives. Therefore, an effective agenda could indeed be a vital tool to make women part of the mainstream and give them a level playing field in which to engage in social, political and economic activities on a par with men.
Special places Women benefit in some jurisdictions from special measures to enter Parliament. Ms Ogunsanya pointed out that strong insistence by very powerful leaders such as Nelson Mandela that women be given an
equal opportunity to participate in elections has resulted in the election of many female candidates in South Africa. She expressed support for a rule that no subsidies be given to political parties which do not have women as 30 per cent of their candidates. Delegates opposing this view
said that a women’s agenda would marginalize women in terms of the male perspective that women require such special treatment due to lack of capacity and capability. In order to be treated equally,
social concepts and attitudes must be challenged by women. Respect for the capacities and capabilities of women must be created. All
282 | The Parliamentarian | 2012: Issue Four
successful civil rights movements in the history of the world are marked by struggles. Therefore, it was argued that women must fight to achieve equality and fair treatment. If men are of the opinion that
women reach positions of power in social, political or economic sphere as a result of selective treatment which favors them, the whole purpose of striving to achieve equality is lost. The very steps taken in the effort
to realize the goal of equality would then be the cause of discriminatory treatment.
Therefore equality has to be
achieved through strategic plans of action that are the result of combined efforts to instigate changes in social,
economic and political spheres as opposed to a specific agenda that is imposed upon the society. The social, cultural and economic
conditions are not the only hurdles that hinder the political progression of women. As a result of factors such as the
demanding hours of a politician, the popular view that politics is a blood- sport and even the uncertainty among some women of their own capabilities, women are increasingly being disengaged from politics. Young people too seem to
have little engagement with politics and rarely consider it as a potential career. It is important to consider how the next generation is socialized.