Changing the political environment
Today, I am going to stretch the meaning of my beat, the ‘environment,’ into including the political environment in our country. What can I say, I guess election fever is getting to me as well.
As a global politics student gladly adopting the perspective of Gender, I was interested in a particular event hosted by several University of Winnipeg departments, Why Women Count in the Federal Election. Held Wednesday, Oct. 1, this event brought together several female federal candidates to talk about why they are getting their panties in a bunch over politics.
Much has been said about the masculine construction of the political world: it’s a big boys’ game, women have to adopt ‘masculine’ behaviours (i.e, ideas on how we think boys act) to fit in, a touch of a woman could really change politics, bla bla bla. Some of these I agree with; some I find to be misappropriations of idealized gender conceptions onto real people, which both distort our view of gender, making sure it stays the way it is, while also confining people in these unrealistic and untruthful representations. Basically, they’re bad.
Yet my political ego was due for a wake up call at this U of W event. It had its fill of gendered representations as women of various political stripes and ages came together on that stage: 25-year old Jessie Klassen, the Green party candidate for Winnipeg Centre, sat in the middle and effectively played the cute baby girl, the one to really inspire others they can do it; Cheryl-Anne Carr from the Communist Party flaunted her fiery temper and talked about Indigenous Peoples’ issues (a welcome breath of fresh air), all the while holding up the stereotype of the female revolutionary proletariat; Lesley Hughes, the Liberal candidate who got booted off for alleged antisemitism, was the pleasant grandmother; and Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP (Winnipeg North) sat peacefully next to her Liberal riding rival Marcelle Marion and held up the stereotype that women will treat their enemies more kindly than men.
The problem was, these women really DID treat their rivals peacefully. Carr started off by giving support to dethroned Hughes, the liberal, who was probably furthest off her political radar of all those present. No one really harped on the Conservatives who failed to show up. No political arguments were sparked between Wasylycia-Leis and Marion. Basically, it was the most civil, laid-back political environment I had ever encountered.
It is not that I think these women proved anyone right and that they really were ‘naturally’ that peaceful (whatever that means). But it shows the potential benefits of gendered stereotypes and nurture - how the ideals of being feminine can really change women’s behaviour, for the better.
Having seen these five ladies, I can honestly say that in line with my crazy-feminist views of gender, women really can change the climate of party politics and the House of Commons. Even if it’s only due to socialization.
For detailed information on this event, read next week’s issue of The Uniter (on stands Oct. 9).