Women and exercising the right to vote

Despite women’s suffrage being legally achieved in every country in the world - with the exception of the Vatican City – in reality, women continue to face significant barriers in the political and electoral sphere. Women are far less represented in political leadership positions, having less of a say in issues that impact public life such as foreign affairs, international security, and financial decisions. Furthermore, women are often deterred from voting in elections due to oppression, fear, or the existence of entrenched gender roles in society.

International Women’s Day serves to celebrate the important role that women play in society, whilst continuing the fight for equal rights. This International Women’s Day, we are taking the opportunity to focus on the role women play in politics and public life due to over 2 billion people heading to the polls in elections this year. Enhancing the representation of women in politics and ensuring women can vote freely and safely, in the absence of cultural, religious, or economic barriers, are crucial if we are to achieve equality.

Women’s Suffrage

Women’s suffrage has typically developed at different paces globally, and along with them, perceptions around the rights of women to vote in elections.

In the UK women fought – and died – for the right vote in the early 20th Century, in spite of the division it caused in British society. The Anti-Suffrage Review and Men’s League for Opposing Woman Suffrage were two groups built to oppose suffrage for reasons including: women’s ‘delicate sensibilities’ unsuited to political conflict, the higher value of work conducted by men, the danger it would pose to ‘womanhood’ as a whole and the British Empire and the idea of women having Parliamentary franchise whatsoever. The UK, however, was not the first to give women the vote. New Zealand gave women the vote in 1893 and the right to run as a candidate in 1919.

Throughout the 20th Century more countries began enshrining the right to vote for women. Pew Research, during their examination of the issue, found that over 50% of the 129 countries analysed gave women the right to vote between 1893 and 1960. During decolonisation and the fall of the British and other European Empires, many African countries automatically enshrined the right for women to vote in their newly minted governing apparatus. Western democracies cannot boast of being at the forefront of ensuring women’s suffrage when Portugal (1976), Switzerland (1971), and Liechtenstein (1984) didn’t implement the right to vote until the late 20th Century.

Within this historical context it’s important to note it was not as simple as enshrining the right to vote in legislation and all women were included. Race, class, and age often determined whether women could exercise their right to vote at all.

In Canada, indigenous women and those of Asian descent were not afforded the right whilst white Canadian women were. Similarly, the US and Australia did not offer indigenous or black women the right to vote when white women could. In contrast, India didn’t offer unmarried women the right to vote until 1950, valuing married women over those who weren’t due to the lack of oversight from a man. Literacy was also a key discriminator in allowing women to vote, for example Ecuador had literacy requirements and did not drop the requirement until 1979.

Women’s suffrage is not a straightforward change historically and the right to vote for women does not mean the absence of informal barriers for women to vote and stand in elections.

Women in Political Leadership

Women in leadership positions politically are a good indicator of how engaged women are at the grassroots level.

According to the UN, there are 26 countries where 28 women serve as Heads of State or Government, but at the current rate of change it’ll be another 130 years before gender equality is achieved. Within Cabinets in various countries women typically hold positions in women and gender equality, family and children affairs, social inclusion and development, social protection and social security, and indigenous and minority affairs. Amongst Parliamentarians, 26.5% of single or lower houses are women and it won’t be until 2063 until gender parity is achieved at the current trajectory.

Quotas have often been used to boost participation from women and minorities in politics, however wider participation globally is needed in leadership positions such as foreign affairs, internal security, and finance ministries. One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is for equal women’s participation in politics and public life, but many countries are a long way from reaching this goal.

Current Barriers for Women

Despite significant progress being made for women’s voting rights worldwide, there are still a multitude of barriers that women face during elections.

Since 2015, women have been legally allowed to vote in every country and territory in the world bar the Vatican City, however, in practice, there are many countries in which it remains difficult for women to vote. As well as gender, factors such as religion, culture and socio-economic background all influence women’s ability to exercise their right to vote and stand in elections.

Countries that strictly follow Sharia law often put limitations on the rights of women. In traditional Sharia law, society and politics are governed by patriarchy, with men being at the head of the household. As such, political parties are focused on the interests of men, whilst women’s voices are marginalised. In Saudi Arabia, for example, women need to ask permission from a male guardian before making any major decisions. Similarly in Afghanistan, women need to ask permission to leave the home unless it’s urgent. The same is the case in Oman, in which, according to Refworld, women’s freedom to exercise rights is rated 1.2 out of 5 in political and civic matters, with 1 being the lowest level of freedom.

In these countries, women can easily be prevented from voting should they not be granted permission. When women do vote, their decision is usually dictated by their husband or elder male family members, meaning they can be forced to cast ballots for candidates that they don’t support. In Pakistan, there are strict rules about how men and women can interact, meaning that husbands or village elders can ban women from voting, or else they face being chastised or harassed at the polls. In Egypt, where society is equally male dominated, the requirement for citizens to show a valid I.D. at the polls can act as a barrier to women. Not only are women less likely than men to have an I.D., but if they do, it is often carried by their husband, who can easily withhold it, thereby preventing them from voting. Jordan, Kuwait, Libya and Lebanon are also all highly patriarchal societies, with the ability of women to vote freely being suppressed by male dominance.

The highly entrenched gender roles in these societies, often supported by law, presents significant barriers to women’s freedom to vote and participate in elections and political life more broadly.

In other countries, despite there being no legal restrictions to women voting, there remain societal barriers. Women often face the risk of violence at the polls, deterring them from voting. In the 2016 elections in Uganda, a control centre had to be set up to monitor the violence against women at the polls. Kenya also experiences high levels of gender-based violence during elections, with electoral-related sexual violence being a recurring issue during Kenyan national elections since 1990. According to Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights, 201 cases of sexual violence were reported in 11 counties during the 2017 national elections, with actual cases likely being far higher. Forms of sexual violence such as rape and sexual assault are used to influence the political outcome by hindering women from voting through fear and displacement.  

The expectation of women to be carrying out duties at home means that many cannot afford the time of travelling to the registration centres to vote, particularly those in rural areas. This is the case in many African countries, where issues such as physical security and societal conflicts further discourage women from travelling long distances by themselves. Widespread health conditions often mean that many don’t feel fit enough to make the journey to vote, and so rather choose to stay at home.

The lack of representation of women in politics, and the absence of concern for women’s issues, discourages many women from voting as they feel that their vote doesn’t count. In Nigeria, only around 7% of the representatives in the National Assembly are women - being far below the global average of around 26% - whilst in Papa New Guinea, only 7 women have been elected since 1975. The lack of female representation in these countries only serves to perpetuate the issue. Not only do many hold the opinion that women are less capable in political roles, but the sidelining of women’s needs mean they face barriers such as poorer employment opportunities, further entrenching political inactivity.

Slow Progress

Despite half the world’s population being made up of women, progression towards equality in politics and political life is a story of stagnation and patchy implementation.

During the 20th Century women’s emancipation and views around the value of women in public life shifted only to a degree, with race, class and social background playing large roles in determining voting rights. Whilst in many countries this changed overtime, in many countries it is still very difficult for women to run for office or vote in reality. Furthermore, when women are in leadership positions, they can often be in positions deemed less masculine and more feminine. The cultural context is also extremely important, with women in many countries subject to patriarchal ideals as to the role of women in public life.

It is proven that more participation in politics and leadership positions by women leads to better outcomes for both women and men, therefore we need to not just focus on how the rights of women are represented in law, but crucially, in practice.