Where are the women?
The announced retirement of Halifax MP Alexa McDonough from politics occurred Monday in the Lord Nelson. The century-old muscular Edwardian Hotel in Halifax where she started her career and celebrated many political victories was the home to her short goodbye. She told us on the air the next day that she retired when a dear friend died of cancer. It caused her to refocus. Life is short.
However, politically, life has been long for her: as a Federal leader for the NDP, as well as a Member of Parliament, and she has been nothing less than a trailblazer in that longevity.
The biggest moment in the last Federal election occurred when Peter Mackay told Alexa Macdonough to “Stick to her knitting” in response to her challenge of Peter winning his own riding. As an older person, and as a woman, it was McDonough marginalizing. If it was a guy, Peter would not have involved the word “knitting” — unless he was taking a swipe at the sexuality of Scott Brison. (If he had said that to Scott, Brison would’ve had a good laugh. In the past, Peter has referred to Scott Brison in the House of Commons as “Mr. Fancy Pants”).
And while both Peter Mackay and Scott Brison are good sports and solid public servants — gay or straight residing in the comfort of their gender dominance — the gender issue of Alexa McDonough is something not discussed, but ever present. Politics is a boys club still; but whether or not the partial success of Hillary Clinton and the life long work of Alexa McDonough will translate into encouragement/activism for other women remains to be seen.
Yet, more and more women are graduating ahead of men. This gender disparity is especially true in United States. It still does not mean real power because we won’t let them into the halls of power in adequate numbers. Men are in denial about this.
In Ontario politics in the 1990s, Lyn McLeod was the Liberal leader who was eclipsed by the Mike Harris “Common Sense” Conservative revolution because she was a woman. Had the Liberals positioned a man as leader many feel the outcome would have been different. Harris was behind in the polls significantly at the outset. McLeod’s gender caught up with her.
Kim Campbell, who was PM for 15 minutes suffered from the disease of Mulroneyitis and was devastated in the Jean Chrétien landslide with her party reduced to two seats.
In Nova Scotia recently, Diana Whalen had a good shot as Liberal leader but was eclipsed by Stephen McNeil.
Sheila Copps was Deputy PM and for her public service received scads of hate mail because she was considered “abrasive”. Yet, the public elected the street fighter from Shawinigan to 3 majorities. Jean Chrétien’s abrasiveness was considered a needed strength against the separatist hordes.
Here’s the old canard: “it isn’t because she is a woman, it is because of her personality”.
It is politics. And in politics women, the few that there are, act like politicians.
And we don’t like them for it.
Afghanistan has more women in their government than we do here. Of course, we forced them to over there. Maybe we should try the point of a bayonet here too.
Gentlemen, of what are you afraid?
June 7th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Clutching at straws. The media and talkshow hosts, two mutually exclusive groups, would discuss how many politicians or entertainers (not necessarily mutually exclusive) can dance on the head of a pin. “Tend to your own knitting” and “fancy pants” phrases whose origins are long since forgotten weren’t used in a blantant sexist context. They are throwaway phrases. “mind your own business” and “don’t you think your special”
With all the investment that TV and Radio have made in news channels and programs they are more likely to be making or making-up the news than accuratley reporting on it. “the media is the message and the message becomes the media” or somesuch.
With all the real issues out there facing us you’d think you could find a better premise to discuss gender politics than than a coupla’ phrases which meant nothing by way of a male-female putdown.
There are more cogent arguements to be made on this topic mostly around the media’s gender comments vs race comments. Gender or race aren’t the elephant in the room the media is.
Later,
Me
June 9th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Will:
You are part of the problem — at least your reply evidences the problem: sneering, cutesy, and ignoring/denying the problem — the problem is that there are not enough women in politics. It is not polemical, it is not a postulate, not point of discussion, it is a friggen fact.
There is no excuse in this society for having the lack of women in the political process that we do.
At least I am talking about it while you mince words on Mackay’s glibness or (my favourite folks) “the media!”
Yes, the media. We are responsible (?!) or we are not devoted to the issues where you, William, are magnetized.
Sorry that your “real issues” are not covered in my 15 hours of live radio a week with 20 — 25 topics per week devoted to war, international relations, the economy, Ottawa, Provincial politics, Maritime pocketbook issues, authors, businessmen, and entertainers.
Forgive me for devoting a blog to something so lowly as women in politics and the retirement of Alexa.
-ak
June 9th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The wisest people I know are women. They just get things done and don’t waste time with the sookee baybee (mis-spelled purposely) whining that is the Canadian political arena. Most women are far too intelligent to waste their time with politics. Please don’t encourage them to reduce themselves to that level.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Politics eh, well I would have to say that the reason I do not participate in politics when it comes down to the vote is because I don’t like anyone that is running. And yes, if it was a female who knew about menstrual and child birth and perhaps she is a woman who has had to run a full house hold I may trust her ability to handle a Country. But for now, as far as I see it, the green party will be getting my vote. That is I won’t bother wasting the paper and people in charge never listen anyways.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I am 39 years old. Young, smart, educated, financially secure, female. Nope…politics is a man’s world. I understand the systems, enjoy the debates and make educated decisions about how I am going to vote. I have worked on several campaigns at different levels of government.
Here is my theory. Most women though qualified, smart and great at seeing the facts and getting jobs done are barely holding it together. We keep track of schedules, children, household finances, households, and ourselves. We are the ones that are sitting at the dentist office with our children, leaving work to go to the afternoon recitals and lunches at the schools because men simply can’t. It is true.
Thanks Mike for suggesting that we are above wasting our time with politics however it is more likely we are wasting our time doing other things. It is very few women that have the suppport system in place to pursue politics. The time, effort and energy required to fulfill that role.
By the way, I LOVED the knitting comment. Made Peter look like an ass and Alexa handled it with humour and the proper amount of dismissal it deserved.