The single most effective remedy for women’s underrepresentation in politics internationally is political party quotas. While informal rules and relationships tend to reinforce hierarchies of power, procedures that promote and guarantee women’s decision-making within political parties can increase their public voice. And, with a fair and equitable quota for women equally represented in both political parties, we would quickly have a much more diverse and inclusive government that truly represents the people. Interestingly, in the United States, both of the two major parties already have internal gender quotas in another arena: 50% of delegates to each party’s conventions must be women. But if party leaders could commit to an agreed-upon quota for women's representation, with stronger recruitment efforts, perhaps to secure half of all candidates being women, we would quickly resolve the gender disparity in our political system worldwide. And while we know that mentorship is the most powerful way to bring more women into political office (and counteract social biases), being a token “woman at the top” is often accompanied by work overload that leaves little time for female political leaders to be nurturing the next generation of women in politics. One final lesson we could learn from peer countries would be the process of “gender analysis” in budgeting and policymaking. Many countries have made “gender responsive budgeting” a priority, to good effect both for women and these countries as a whole. The composition of legislative bodies affects the quality of our laws and may influence the extent of their application. By ensuring that our political processes and institutions reflect the needs of the society that they govern, we can be more responsive, more inclusive, and more equitable.
Linda Fisk is a multi-award-winning CEO, TEDx speaker, 6x international best-selling author, U.S. Senator for the WBAF, TV producer and Podcast host, keynote speaker, and university professor dedicated to amplifying and extending the success of other high-caliber business leaders. She is the Chairwoman of LeadHERship Global, a community of unstoppable women enhancing their leadership blueprint and embracing their power to be the best version of themselves- in work and life. In LeadHERship Global, Linda supports and guides ambitious, creative women to move in the direction of their purpose, their mission and their dreams with powerful connections, critical support, practical tools and valuable resources to show up, speak up and step up in their careers and personal lives.
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