‘The political system is misfiring’: Why young women don’t see themselves becoming politicians
Source: Women’s Agenda
One hundred and twenty-two years after women in Australia won the right to vote and stand for parliament, it’s fair to say we’ve come a long way on women’s representation in politics.
In 2024, women make up 38 per cent of the House of Representatives, while 57 per cent of Senators are women.
But if we look a bit closer, there are plenty of issues preventing Australia from reaching total gender parity in federal parliament, and we remain a long way off changing attitudes so that the women who do end up sitting in a parliamentary chamber are treated equally to men.
Alarmingly, new research has confirmed there are still some pretty big barriers that are thwarting the political ambitions of young women. In a series of interviews with young people, it was clear that young women feel reluctant to become a member of federal parliament.
The study, led by Head of Politics and International Relations at Monash University, Dr Zareh Ghazarian, observed that gender stereotypes, women’s perceptions of their own knowledge and confidence, and the “toxic”, masculine culture of parliament were all preventing women from wanting to put their hands up for a career as an MP.
Read here the full article published by the Women’s Agenda on 15 April 2024.
Image source: Women’s Agenda
One hundred and twenty-two years after women in Australia won the right to vote and stand for parliament, it’s fair to say we’ve come a long way on women’s representation in politics.
In 2024, women make up 38 per cent of the House of Representatives, while 57 per cent of Senators are women.
But if we look a bit closer, there are plenty of issues preventing Australia from reaching total gender parity in federal parliament, and we remain a long way off changing attitudes so that the women who do end up sitting in a parliamentary chamber are treated equally to men.
Alarmingly, new research has confirmed there are still some pretty big barriers that are thwarting the political ambitions of young women. In a series of interviews with young people, it was clear that young women feel reluctant to become a member of federal parliament.
The study, led by Head of Politics and International Relations at Monash University, Dr Zareh Ghazarian, observed that gender stereotypes, women’s perceptions of their own knowledge and confidence, and the “toxic”, masculine culture of parliament were all preventing women from wanting to put their hands up for a career as an MP.
Read here the full article published by the Women’s Agenda on 15 April 2024.
Image source: Women’s Agenda