POLITICAL WILL & SEXISM

By Ms. Lorraine Koonce-Farahmand Esq, English Solicitor & NY Lawyer

Delivered at UN Human Rights Council Geneva Panel on Political Will & Public Will – Gender Advocacy

As we look back on November 25th the day that is filled with recognition that the world has acknowledged the multiple forms of violence perpetrated against women simply because they are female. In every country, women and girls suffer from multiple forms of violence. It takes place in the home, on the streets, in the schools, in the workplace and in the professional and political world. It often manifests itself in domestic and sexual violence. And it also manifests itself in gender based slander, gender based slamming, sexist attacks and sexist media coverage that seriously degrades women in their professional and political careers.

It manifested itself when a barrister put her credentials on LinkedIn received responses not on her professional credentials but on her appearance. It manifested itself in headlines such as The 20 Hottest Female Republican Politicians or The Top 10 Sexiest Female Politicians in the World. It manifested itself in the forms of tweets that were hastily deleted but not before they were diffused, sent from Donald Trump’s Twitter account asking “If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy America?”  It manifested itself in gender based slamming comments used to mock Julia Gillard who served as Australia’s first female prime minister. She received a chronic stream of sexist media coverage of every aspect of her appearance and she endured sexist slamming comments such as “small breasts, huge thighs” “ditch the witch, “lying cow, and “horrible mouth on legs.” It manifested itself when 17 female French politicians sent a written open letter saying they will no longer endure the sexual harassment from their male colleagues. In the letter they stated ” We have been ministers; we are or have been elected representatives. Like all women who reached circles that were once exclusively masculine, we have been forced to fight against sexism. It’s not for women to adapt in these circles, it’s the behavior of certain men that must change. It’s enough. The immunity has finished. We will no longer shut up.”

It manifested itself when Siobhan “Sam” Bennett decided to run for the post of mayor in her home town in Pennsylvania.  She was already well known as she has founded, led and or served on the boards of various civic organizations. Standing before a room full of men, she began to deliver her remarks when the chair of the meeting interrupted her and said “Sam, I want to ask a question all the men in this room have been dying to ask you: Just what are your measurements?” It manifested itself when a radio host  called a female senator a “prostitute” because she cut a deal to benefit her state; when a male challenger referred to his female rival “attractive” and “probably a good mother,”  and when a TV host  noted that the candidate’s wife looked like an angry woman. It manifested itself against the internationally well-known singer Adele. Her first cd 19, was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success, certified seven times platinum in the UK, double platinum in the US. Her second cd 21, surpassed the success of her first cd, earning the singer numerous awards including a record-tying six Grammy Awards.  This cd alone sold 31 million copies worldwide earning her numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records and yet this professional woman  was the victim of gender slamming  comments such as she has a nice face but she is a little too fat.’ I ask you this question: was this sort of comment ever put forth to the late Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti?  It manifested itself against Sarah Jessica Parker the executive producer of the series SATC.  SATC  was nominated for 54 Emmy Awards (winning seven,)  nominated for 24 Golden Globe Awards (winning eight,) nominated for 11 Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning 3), nominated for 10 Directors Guild of America Awards (winning two), nominated for 7 Satellite Awards (winning two ) and nominated for 4 Producers Guild of America Awards (winning 3). Additionally SATC garnered various other awards and nominations.  Sarah Jessica Parker was nominated for 32 individual awards for her role as Carrie Bradshaw and received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series including 4 Golden Globe awards for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Comedy Series. Instead of congratulations all round on how commendable her extraordinarily successful female-centred franchise in a male-dominated industry,  she was subjected  to vicious  gender based slamming and sexist comments such as she looks like a horse, she looks like a skeletal transvestite,  the unsexist woman in the world, ghastly and I’ve seen better looking winos underneath the arches at Charring Cross.

Women in the public eye and politics have endured gender slamming, sexist remarks and comments about their appearance, their legs, their wardrobe and their personality that are rarely made about male politicians. Sexism and vicious gender slamming in the media against women has become normalized and accepted in a way that they would not be if these comments were racist.  For many years, the prevailing school of thought was that females ought not to acknowledge this sort of gender-based slamming or not engage in any discussion that references it. For women it can be a potential lethal cocktail: standing up to sexism means facing potential accusations of too emotional or unable to man up OR accusations of playing the gender card. This unfair focus on women’s appearance and sex appeal leads to hurtful gender based slamming that is often manifested in the highly toxic media environment that makes it daunting for women.

It manifested itself against Hillary Clinton who has endured sexist comments aimed at her age, femininity, looks and style – issues that would rarely come into contestation if she were a male politician in the running. When she formally announced her candidacy in April 2015, she has been bludgeoned and slammed with a fuselage of negative media coverage. A study by Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics, and Public Policy found Clinton has received far more negative coverage than any other candidate in the presidential race thus far. The study was based on an analysis of news statements from CBS, Fox, the Los Angeles Times, NBC, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Her run for the Democratic nomination has ripped with the most blatant mean spirited sexist comments ranging from the tone of voice, her style of dress and even when she was openly in tears. President Obama was in tears in addressing the nation after the Sandy Hook killings in his relentless plea to Congress that the continual wave of mass shootings and the easy availability of gun must stop. Joe Biden was in tears at the end of his vice presidential debate. Former President Gerald Ford cried when he listened to a tribute to his wife Betty Ford at a Republican National Convention.  Former President George H. W. Bush was in tears during a speech to the Southern Baptist Convention, when he recalled the moment that lead up to the start of the air war against Iraq. Dwight D. Eisenhower cried after his July 1, 1952, speech at an 82nd Airborne luncheon.  Bill Clinton was moved to tears at the White House in August 1994, during a gathering of riders from the Health Security Express. And tears openly ran down President George W. Bush’s cheek as he took part in a Medal of Honour Ceremony for Marine Jason Dunham at the White House in 2007. They were not criticised. However, when Clinton was in tears after meeting with mothers whose children were killed by gun violence she faced media criticism about her crocodile tears. When she talks politics, Clinton has been accused of being cold and out of touch, but when she mentions her family, she faces accusations of being too “estrogen” fueled. Hilary Clinton has also faced a barrage of criticism about her age.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell compared Clinton to a cast member from “The Golden Girls,” Rick Santorum called her “old,” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said that Clinton “embodies that old, tired top-down approach from the government.” Former Fox host Mike Huckabee questioned whether or not Clinton would have the stamina for a national campaign.  As the former secretary of state she travelled nearly one million miles whilst serving in office.  Fox contributor Erick Erickson said “I don’t know how far back they can pull her face. ” Radio host Rush Limbaugh commented “Will this country want to watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis? The late Slate writer Christopher Hitchens ridiculed her as an “aging and resentful female.” And yet in 2016 the Republican contender for the White House was Mick Romney who was the same age as Hilary Clinton. Actually, he is older than Clinton by seven months the same age as Ronald Reagan when he was sworn into his first term. I ask you this question: Were these sorts of comments made about the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump who is 70. There have been no comments about his age. Indeed Hilary Clinton is two years younger and yet as a women, she faced articles and media coverage such as Is Hillary Clinton too Old to be President? Numerous US president have been in their 60s: Ronald Reagan was 68, William Henry Harrison was 65,   James Buchanan was 64, George H.W. Bush was 64, Zachary Taylor was 62, Dwight D. Eisenhower was 61, Andrew Jackson and John Adams was 61 and Gerald Ford and Harry Truman were 60.   Seven heads of states in the European Union are over 60. There is no secret that, for a women, her age becomes an easy target for gender based slamming comments.

In the run-up to the general election, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party has endured media coverage centered on her appearance, her height and her clothes. She has put up with sexist comments such as ‘Cameron’s cuties,’ ‘wee woman’ and the ’’ human Dinky toy.”  Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy is 5’ 5” (1.65m) and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is not a tall man and yet they have not endured comments such a dinky toy. Nevertheless, women must carry on enduring these gender sexist comments. Theresa May has been called as “the ice queen” of Westminster. German chancellor Angela Merkel has been criticised for appearance. When she became the leader of the Christian Democratic Union and changed her appearance she was still criticised. Christine Lagarde, the first woman to head up the International Monetary Fund, the first female finance minister of a G8 economy, as well as the first female chair of an international law firm and yet some titles of articles on her range from Is This The World’s Sexiest Woman, and then in brackets as if that were a secondary consideration, And the Most Powerful to Christine Lagarde’s Legs.  In 2007, Marie-Ségolène Royal, a French politician and prominent member of the Socialist Party, ran unsuccessfully for President of France. She was the first woman in France to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major party. And yet some of the media comments focused more on her aesthetic appeal with comments such as: she looks dazzling, or she has the kind of face which suggests a tall, beautiful and elegant woman, but she is not tall and charming woman courting voters with a smile. Her Socialist rival Laurent Fabius was reported to have asked, as a joke, who will look after the children. Ashleigh Banfield, the Canadian-American journalist who works for CNN and hosts Legal View with Asheligh Banfield.  She has endured sexist media coverage such as Ashleigh Banfield’s Delicious Legs and Thighs with slew of filthy comments such as “her meaty juicy thighs, Ashleigh is so sexy in that shiny satin blouse that highlights her lovely big boobs, those legs, wow and very hot in glasses, Ashleigh Banfield in a grey skirt that’s too damn long but at least doesn’t completely cover up her legs and CNN needs to offer her a big bonus for wearing shorter skirts. It is a terribly   depressing state of affairs that even at this level of power and international prominence, women are reduced to their body parts and have to face these sort of blatant sexist remarks.

Women who are in power and exhibited qualities of leadership and strength are often verbally slammed. Words become particularly nasty and mean spirited.  The word Bitch is thrown out quite casually.  Julia Gillard was once referred to as Julia: Brown Browns Bitch.  Ashleigh Banfield had been called a loud mouth bitch.  On the 2008 campaign trail a woman asked Republican presidential candidate John McCain about Hillary Clinton. “How do we beat the bitch?” she asked. There were chuckles all round and McCain replied, “That’s an excellent question!” Janet Yellen, the first female Federal Reserve Board Chair, endured blog posted with titles such as “Janet Yellen: the Bitch of the Fed.  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was called a bitch by her male law-school classmates. Radio host Glenn Beck called Hillary Clinton a “stereotypical bitch and said “after four years don’t you think every man in America will go insane.”  When referring to the late Geraldine Ferraro, Barbara Bush once said “I can’t say it,” she said, “but it rhymes with ‘rich.’” Indira Gandhi the late Prime Minister of India endured being called this word by the ex-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger who said “While she was a bitch, we got what we wanted. TV anchor Katie Couric has been regularly called a “bitch. A Nashville’s top election official called a reporter a “bitch” after the TV interview ended. He resigned.

Research by the American University’s Women and Politics Institute showed that women are less likely than men to consider running for office because they perceive an unfair political environment. A study commissioned by the Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation also showed that sexist attacks and sexist media coverage seriously hurts women in politics.

Currently in the US the 114th Congress (2015-2016) has 20 female senators out of 100, the same number in the previous year.  In the UK a record 155 female MPs were voted.  In France’s national assembly François Hollande appointed women to half the 34 cabinet posts after he became president and more than a quarter of the 577-seat parliament is now made up of women. Bravo. And yet in the political sea the gender slamming carries on with comments such as:

• Calm down dear directed at a female shadow Chief Secretary during Prime Minister’s questions.
• A good wife doesn’t disagree with her master in public and a good little girl doesn’t lie about why she quit politics.” Labour MP Austin Mitchell, 2012
• While I think men and women are equal, they are also different and I think it’s inevitable and I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all that we always have, say, more women doing things like physiotherapy and an enormous number of women simply doing housework. Ex-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
• She says she is on a diet and then helps herself to a second helping of cheese. Nicolas Sarkozy on Angela Merkel,
• Regulation in protection of women is all well and good in academic and government circles. If you’re a small business, you’d be a lunatic to hire a woman of child bearing age. Former UK MEP Godfrey Bloom, 2004
• When Cécile Duflot, France’s former Housing Minister, stood up to speak in the National Assembly she was greeted by wolf whistles as she was wearing a dress.
• And French MP Patrick Balkany on that wolf-whistling at the housing minister said If she didn’t want us to take an interest in her, then she shouldn’t have changed her look.

No! What needs to change is the stereotypes image of women in politics. This issue is global because if a woman is leading or commanding, she is perceived to have lost her ‘female’ traits of empathy, likeability and now is a bit hard boiled. No matter what women all round the world face continual sexism in a bid to be taken seriously, a fact which is no different for female politicians who grapple to be respected by the largely male-dominated political elite and are instead judged on their aesthetic appeal and mocked for their beliefs.

Women we have never been in a stronger position to lead, to change and to shape the economic, social and political landscape. The 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in “traditional” family dynamics and greater recognition of gender in legislation has helped to pull apart gender-role divisions. Thus women are far more economically independent and socially autonomous, representing 42% of the UK workforce and 55% of university graduates. Yet women are still less likely than men to be associated with leadership positions in the UK: They account for 22% of MP’s, 20% of university professors, and 6.1% of FTSE 100 executive positions, and a mere 3% of board chairpersons. Efforts to diversify America’s corporate boards with more women are still lagging.  Clearly we need to look beyond facts and figures. While statistics offer insights, they do not address why sexism in political will is chronic.

It is the role of stereotypes, reinforced by social and cultural norms, which underline certain expectations about gender. Decades of research has shown that stereotypes about men and women have a huge impact on our beliefs about how they ought and ought not to behave: Women are generally perceived as more “loyal”, whereas men are perceived as more “protectors” and “competent.” Women and men who behave in ways that contrast to these traditional stereotypes – such as the career women or the stay-at-home dad are likely to be evaluated negatively by others.

Though the number of women in politics is increasing, the sexism facing females or politicians who have strong political wills still remains.  Sexism has been set firmly. Very few current male politicians feel the need to combat this within their own constitutes, sometimes even actively participating in it. Until we let go of thinking that women with strong political wills cannot exist, we will carry on thinking that a women’s political will can only be measured by her glamourous legs and her tube of Chanel lipstick.