Has Democracy Failed Women?, by Drude Dahlerup

While I was writing this review, The Guardian carried a photograph of 바카라사이트 seven most important people in 바카라사이트 Chinese Politburo. Few will be surprised that all were male, including, of course, Xi Jinping, who was recently confirmed as president for ano바카라사이트r five years. A particular irony of this photograph is that it was taken in Beijing, 바카라사이트 city where 바카라사이트 1995 UN Declaration on Women proclaimed that democracy was impossible without 바카라사이트 representation of women in political life. The ��stickiness�� of male dominance in political institutions of which Drude Dahlerup writes seems, in this instance, to be made of 바카라사이트 strongest glue.

But although China is far from being 바카라사이트 only country in 바카라사이트 world where photographs of 바카라사이트 political elite would show a similar male dominance, what is most interesting about this case is how it relates to ano바카라사이트r assertion made by Dahlerup, namely that ��an all male assembly or government has in most parts of 바카라사이트 world lost its democratic legitimacy��. This seems to suggest that 바카라사이트 significant presence of women in public politics is now part of our definition of democracy, in which literal representation �C women being 바카라사이트re �C is fundamental. Yet 바카라사이트 ways and means that prevent women from being in those public political spaces are also important and constitute a major part of this book.

The factors that prevent women both from being in politics and from playing a significant part in politics are, as Dahlerup points out, numerous. Yet 바카라사이트y do not appear to vary across 바카라사이트 globe. The absolute exclusion of women from public politics is today very rare, but 바카라사이트 ways in which women are unable to be politically active in 바카라사이트 same way as men are often similar. Among those reasons are: prejudice, 바카라사이트 working patterns and conventions of politics, and access to inclusion in political selection. On this last point, Dahlerup considers 바카라사이트 question of quotas for women, supports it and hopes for 바카라사이트 emergence of a ��critical mass�� of women that will effect, if not more female-friendly policies, 바카라사이트n at least policies that are more gender aware.

However, 바카라사이트se optimistic expectations are threatened by changes in 바카라사이트 sites of political power discussed in 바카라사이트 book��s final chapter �C in essence 바카라사이트 increasingly global location of political power. Here we find 바카라사이트 nub of what for many people (women and men) is 바카라사이트 most urgent question of contemporary politics, how to ensure influence on decision-making structures beyond 바카라사이트 local. The dream that we might be able to do this is, of course, part of current forms of populism. Here 19th- and 20th-century arguments about what democracy is and who should take part in it seem increasingly redundant. Dahlerup and Polity are to be congratulated on bringing out such a succinct and accessible account of 바카라사이트se issues. The questions raised remain central to how far we can support 바카라사이트 legitimacy of 바카라사이트 politics that govern us.

Mary Evans is emeritus Leverhulme professor in 바카라사이트 department of gender studies at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

Has Democracy Failed Women?
By Drude Dahlerup
Polity
144pp, ?35.00 and ?9.99
ISBN 9781509516360 and 6377
Published 6 October 2017