Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation 9/25/2024
Dear Readers,
Saturday, September 21, 2024, was the Autumn Equinox- officially the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing colors, and voters are getting ready to make their voices heard!
The International Day of Peace was also on September 21! First established by the United Nations, it was created to call for an end to war and violence and encourage ceasefires in combat zones to provide humanitarian aid. 2024 is the 25th anniversary of the International Day of Peace; this year’s theme is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. Now, more than ever, we must encourage peace and cultivate an international dialogue based on understanding.
Katie Usalis, Partnerships Director, and Cynthia Richie Terrell, Executive Director of RepresentWomen, are heading to the Athens Democracy Forum in Greece next week! They'll present our latest international research on gender parity in global systems, specifically the European Union and unrecognized nation-states. Our EU brief will be released next week, and you can find the complete report on unrecognized states here. The 'International Recognition and Women's Political Representation: An Analysis of Five Unrecognized States' brief sheds light on the often-overlooked political landscape of self-governing unrecognized states and examines how women navigate these unique contexts and contribute to democratic governance.
Our international research shows that women in nations with higher levels of government representation are not inherently more ambitious, skilled, or trained to run than American women. However, these nations have implemented institutional reforms and systemic policies to create a level playing field for women to advance in political leadership. We must carefully examine and analyze these reforms to achieve systemic change in the United States.
Next weekend, RepresentWomen team members will attend the Flowers for Fannie Lou community event in Prattville, Alabama. Sponsored and presented by Freedom Farm Azul and co-sponsored by our organization and Causability, this event celebrates the birth, life, and legacy of voting and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. A trailblazer whose activism and commitment to social justice continue to inspire movements for equality and community empowerment, Fannie Lou Hamer's legacy will be honored through a day of meaningful activities fostering dialogue, solidarity, and collective care.
Credit: Melanie Humble
This week's Weekend Reading features articles on the United Nations' call to close the global gender gap, the ongoing gender apartheid in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka's new prime minister, Constitution Week, and election updates on state-level reform measures
UN Report Reveals Mixed Progress on Global Gender Equality
Credit: Predrag Vasic, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
A recent report by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, titled 'Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2024,' highlights the uneven progress in achieving gender equality. While women now hold 25% of parliamentary seats globally and the number of women and girls living in extreme poverty has decreased by 10%, significant disparities remain. At current rates, gender balance in parliaments won't be achieved until 2063, and it will take 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty.
"Today’s report reveals the undeniable truth: progress is achievable, but is not fast enough,” said Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director. “We need to keep pushing forward for gender equality to fulfill the commitment made by world leaders in the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing almost 30 years ago and the 2030 Agenda. Let us unite to continue dismantling the barriers women and girls face and forge a future where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a reality.”
The report stresses the astonishing cost of gender inequality. For example, the annual global cost of countries failing to adequately educate their young populations is over USD 10 trillion. Low- and middle-income countries can lose another USD 500 billion in the next five years by not closing the digital gender gap.
"The costs of inaction on gender equality are immense, and the rewards of achieving it are far too great to ignore. We can only achieve the 2030 Agenda with the full and equal participation of women and girls in every part of society,” said Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
Women Still Waiting for Equal Protection Under the Law
Credit: Melanie Humble
Last week was Constitution week, and despite the numerous contributions from women to the American government and society, they are still not fully protected in the Constitution. Women make up 53% of voters and hold various political and leadership roles, yet their rights remain vulnerable without the protection of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
Executive Editor of Ms. Magazine Kathy Spillar writes:
Since its inception in 1787, the Constitution has shaped our nation, yet its framers intentionally excluded women. The document was written by white land-owning men, for men, and it failed to even acknowledge half the population. They made laws about us, without us. It’s a reality we’ve lived with for over two centuries.
From those early days, women were expected to stay silent. Though women like Abigail Adams warned her husband to “remember the ladies,” their voices were ignored. It wasn’t until 1920, with the passage of the 19th Amendment, that we fought for and won the right to vote. And because of Jim Crow laws, for Black women, it would be even longer…
Although the ERA has been ratified by the required three-quarters of the states and all that remains is for Congress to pass a simple resolution directing it be placed in the Constitution, politicians continue to block its placement with political games…
Every woman in America deserves to have her rights enshrined in the Constitution, not left vulnerable to the whims of a changing political landscape.
Voters Could Modernize State Election Processes in 2024
Credit: RepresentWomen
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is one of the systemic reforms we are dedicated to supporting. RCV minimizes vote-splitting, promotes positive campaigning, lowers election costs, emphasizes issues in campaigns, and ensures more representative outcomes for voters. Last year, we released a memo on RCV and women’s representation—be sure to check it out! Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Washington D.C. have RCV ballot measures this year.
Steven Hill writes in The Fulcrum:
RCV is on the cusp of becoming a new norm for representative democracy in the United States. It has won 27 city and four statewide ballot measures in a row.
Ranked-choice voting has become so popular because it liberates voters to support their favorite candidates, knowing that if your top choice can’t win then your “runoff vote” will count for your second choice, then your third choice and so on. Voters can pick their favorite candidates instead of settling for the “lesser of two evils” or wasting votes on a candidate with no chance of winning.
RCV is establishing an impressive track record across the country, having been used in hundreds of elections by over 16 million voters in over 50 cities, counties and states. And now RCV is poised for its biggest year ever.
More Must Be Done To End Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan
Credit: AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai
Three years have passed since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, plunging women into a state of gender apartheid. Afghan women now face a series of oppressive laws that restrict their access to education, careers, justice, and even public spaces. These restrictions, including bans on secondary school attendance, managerial positions, and public appearances without full face coverings, constitute a severe violation of women's rights. Urgent humanitarian action is needed to support Afghan women and combat the gender-based violence and systemic oppression they endure.
Annamarie Bena in The Hill writes:
Codifying gender apartheid in international law would not move the Taliban to end its gender apartheid system. But it should move countries to take increased, collaborative action, as they did in the 1990s with South Africa.
The collaborative effort should include increased diplomatic and economic sanctions, criminal sanctions for violations of international law and support for Afghan women, thus layering and compounding the alienation of the Taliban, and inhibiting its evasion of accountability.
In support of Afghan women, countries must offer more protection for those who seek safety outside of Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka’s New Prime Minister is Harini Amarasuriya
Credit: AP
Sri Lanka has a female prime minister for the third time in history! Harini Amarasuriya was named Prime Minister on Tuesday, September 24, as part of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolving parliament and calling for a new election in November. She is the first woman to head the Sri Lankan government in 24 years and a former college professor.
Kelly Ng & Andre Rhoden-Paul from BBC write:
Sri Lanka's new president has dissolved parliament to make way for a snap general election. Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved the 225-member parliament in which his left-leaning National People's Power (NPP) alliance had just three seats.
The election will take place on 14 November, almost a year ahead of schedule, according to a notification in the official government gazette.
The president also selected his ally Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister on Tuesday, choosing a woman for the third time in the country's history.
Fall is here, and it's the perfect time to embrace cozy sweaters, pumpkin-spiced treats, and outdoor adventures. Whether you're hiking, sipping cider, or getting lost in a corn maze, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Share your favorite fall activity in our ranked choice voting poll!
Have a good weekend!
- The RepresentWomen Team
https://www.representwomen.org/
P.S.
Our 2024 Declaration of Sentiments is live! Sign, share, and spread the word to show your support for reforms that elect more women! We are also holding a virtual town hall on October 24, 2024! Stay tuned for more information on speakers.
