Political power in Australia is still overwhelmingly male. But beneath the despair, there’s reason for hope

<https://theconversation.com/political-power-in-australia-is-still-overwhelmingly-male-but-beneath-the-despair-theres-reason-for-hope-224370>

"It’s 2024, but power still looks like a man. Despite Australia’s claim to
egalitarianism, achieving equal political participation and representation
remains a formidable challenge for women. Concerningly, the persistent and
ingrained obstacles in women’s way are affecting the aspirations of the next
generation of female leaders.

According to 2022 research spanning 29 countries, including Australia,
satisfaction among young females aged 15-24 with their leaders’ decisions on
issues they care about stands at a mere 11%. An overwhelming 97% acknowledged
the importance of political participation. Yet, only 24% of those aspiring to
engage in politics could see themselves running for office.

Worse still, 20% have been personally discouraged from political involvement.
This is often because they’re either considered to be less qualified or that
they will inevitably face discrimination and gendered violence.

I crunched the numbers to assess the situation in Australia. While much has
been said about the mistreatment of female leaders, how does this play into the
psyche of female constituents?

I found gender gaps have persisted in almost every political measure over the
past 20 years. But there’s a glimmer of hope, mostly found online."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics