On November 30 the government fell. as inevitable as Paul Martin’s trip to see the Governor General, was the fact that the media would soon begin reporting about how women in politics are nothing more than the poor victims of a white male dominated institution.
and sure enough, before Paul Martin had time to utter the words "hidden agenda" the articles began to appear about how women don’t want to enter politics and about how they are marginalized by the political process.
On December 4, Linda Diebel wrote an article in the Toronto Star entitled, "Wonder Women" where she interviewed several qualified women who do not plan to run for political office. The list of women included academic Janice Gross Stein, Sherry Cooper, chief economist with BMO Nesbitt Burns, columnist June Callwood and TVO producer/host Paula Todd. The article was supposedly to show that these women are not entering the political arena because society makes it so difficult for women. The reality is that many of those who appear in the column have eschewed politics for reasons that had nothing to do with their gender. For example, June Callwood said that she had a greater voice as a journalist than she would as a Member of Parliament. an equal number of prominent men could have been found who would have given the same reasons why they have no intention of throwing their hats into the ring.
Two days later, Diebel hit her stride with an article about Belinda Stronach, the latest poster girl of women who enter politics and occasionally have a rough ride. Stronach was complaining that she gets more questions about her wardrobe and what labels she is wearing than she does about substantive matters. What is to be inferred from this is how sexist our political process is.
The truth is that Belinda catapulted to politics because of her wealth and connections. She jet-setted around the world and hung out with the beautiful people, if Bill Clinton can be so described. She didn’t seem to mind the world focusing on her wardrobe then. She successfully won election as a Conservative MP, had an open sexual relationship with the deputy leader of that party and then ditched him at the same time that she crossed the floor to sit as a Liberal cabinet minister. and if she has had any deeper thoughts than Stephen Harper being a threat to national unity we have yet to hear them. With her flaky past and the attention that she draws to herself with her expensive wardrobe and her flashy parties, she has the nerve to think that she is representative of all women who have entered politics.
The Toronto Sun’s Kathleen Harris wrote about women being treated differently in politics. Who does Harris use to support this position? Why Belinda, of course. Stronach’s big claim to fame may very well be as Sheila Copps’ replacement as the feminists’ designated victim in the category of elected representatives.
It’s funny but women such as anne McLellan are never mentioned in media reports about how unfair party politics is to women. The former law professor earned the moniker of "Landslide annie" when she won her first election in 1993 by 12 votes in Liberal-hostile alberta. Since that time, McLellan has been elected three more times and has risen to the position of Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Public Safety. Our Deputy Prime Minister is a woman--but that is never referred to by the media who portray how the odds are stacked against women being successful in politics.
as a prominent cabinet minister in the Chrètien/Martin government, McLellan has taken her fair share of criticism but she rises and falls on the merits of her positions that have nothing to do with her gender.
and there are many more women MPs in all political parties who are treated like McLellan than are treated like Belinda Stronach. But the media will never acknowledge that fact.
and….
In Diebel’s "Wonder Women" piece she writes, "Paula Todd has no doubt that, one day, there will be a female PM. So far though, the closest either Canada or the United States has come is Geena Davis in Commander-in-Chief.
The Right Honourable Kim Campbell. How quickly we forget.