Wishful Thinking 65

In Portugal the government is going to introduce a system of quotas for women in politics (I don't know if that's the right expression to use in English, that's how we say it in Portuguese.) It means from now on political parties running for something will have to have a certain percentage of women in their lists. I agree with this measure because if we were to let it up to the parties to introduce women into their ranks the number of men and women in politics would be balanced in about a hundred years. Furthermore, the idea that people get into parties and rise to positions of power based on their sole personal merit is an illusion that only very naive people believe in. Those few women we see in politics didn't get there because of their exceptional merit either. But that's a myth that a lot of people, women especially, like to believe in: this idea that women have it so tough that if one actually becomes powerful it must be because she is not only equal to men but much better in fact than most men in her position (more hard-working, more intelligent, more qualified, etc.) It's a flattering thing to believe in, but it isn't true. They got there thanks to personal favours and interests and lobbies they serve, just like everybody else who is male.

It was very shocking to hear many of the women in power speak out against this system of quotas saying that they didn't want women in politics who didn't get there through their personal merit and work. It's shocking because the idea implied is that the reason there are so few women in power is because most of them simply don't have what it takes, and don't qualify for the job. Needless to say there are hundreds and hundreds of women who are qualified, and who would be very interested in serving their country (or themselves...) through politics, but no party will let them go near, or ever thinks of inviting them. The way women politicians talk about it you'd think women of worth only come along once in a blue moon (women like them, you see? They're so much better than everybody else of their own gender, of the opposite gender, in the whole of the galaxy... A woman's vanity never ends.)

But if most men and women in politics didn't get there because they were exceptionally qualified or worthy people, then what is the point of introducing a system of quotas, you might ask. If they're all the same anyway, equally corrupt, equally self-serving, equally incompetent? Do I believe that somehow women will be inherently purer? No, I don't. But one thing I realize is that people basically look out for themselves first, and what they perceive to be their group second. Meaning people in power will take care of the interests of those of their own gender, race, religion, social status, etc. So if the people want their interests to be served they must have people of their group representing them in the government and in parliament. That's one of the reasons why democracy is so ineffective: it's true everybody gets to vote, but not everybody gets to run. Those who would represent and fight for a certain group's interests aren't candidates. So quotas are in the interest of democracy.

You could say that by that rational then the percentage of women in politics should be higher than men. I think so too. There are more women than men in Portugal, and that should be reflected in our representatives. In fact, by that rational the percentage of races, religions, social class, etc, should also be represented. In order to assure this percentage truly was representative a study would be conducted periodically, to change the percentage accordingly. Meaning if there were, say, 5% Indian people in Portugal there should be 5% Indian people in power. I don't honestly believe this would guarantee that the interests of Indian people would be safeguarded. The fact most people in power are white men doesn't guarantee the rights of white men either. But I do believe from then on they would stand a much better chance of being heard.