Episode 32: Women in Politics

On December 1st, 1919. Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons. Since then we’ve had 561 different women elected to the House of Commons. 561 out of 5,496 elected MPs total... This episode explores why we need more diversity in politics, the abuse women in politics receive in the media and by other parliamentary members, and why female leaders are not always a victory for feminism. From Jacinda Arden 'having it all' to Hilary Clinton being compared to the decapitated head of Medusa, Angela Rayner  crossing and uncrossing her legs, to Julia Gillard's praiseworthy speech on misogyny, this episode has a little something for everyone. **** Links from the episode: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/feb/07/julia-gillard-misogyny-speech-voted-most-unforgettable-moment-in-australian-tv-history https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v39/n06/mary-beard/women-in-power https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/oxpol-blogcast-women-in-politics-in-conversation-with-mary-ann-sieghart-is-there-a-gendered-authority-gap/ https://www.stylist.co.uk/opinion/mhairi-black-resignation/801053 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1097184X14558237