Comments on: German election gender politics http://www.jonworth.eu/german-election-gender-politics/ At the intersection of the EU, UK politics and tech Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:28:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jo http://www.jonworth.eu/german-election-gender-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-124414 Jo Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:08:17 +0000 http://www.jonworth.eu/?p=2592#comment-124414 This was on Women's hour earlier today, sort of. Don't get me wrong - I wish politics could be about actually finding out what works best and ideas, but we're not there yet. I think that when the media no longer uses a woman's gender as a reason to detract from policies she espouses, and actually listens to what she says rather than taking the worst possible interpretation (loads of examples out there but I was cross about http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article327889.ece and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1204657/My-womanifesto-With-Gordon-holiday-Harriet-Harman-launched-anti-male-blitzkrieg--really-like-PM.html), then I think that's the time at which it becomes unforgivable for a female politician to also play on her gender.. This was on Women’s hour earlier today, sort of.
Don’t get me wrong – I wish politics could be about actually finding out what works best and ideas, but we’re not there yet.
I think that when the media no longer uses a woman’s gender as a reason to detract from policies she espouses, and actually listens to what she says rather than taking the worst possible interpretation (loads of examples out there but I was cross about http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article327889.ece and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1204657/My-womanifesto-With-Gordon-holiday-Harriet-Harman-launched-anti-male-blitzkrieg–really-like-PM.html), then I think that’s the time at which it becomes unforgivable for a female politician to also play on her gender..

]]> By: M http://www.jonworth.eu/german-election-gender-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-124352 M Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:13:56 +0000 http://www.jonworth.eu/?p=2592#comment-124352 Diese Werbung ist total vorschbar! Diese Werbung ist total vorschbar!

]]> By: Jon http://www.jonworth.eu/german-election-gender-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-124330 Jon Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:28:16 +0000 http://www.jonworth.eu/?p=2592#comment-124330 Yes, perhaps I was wrong to bring in handbag wars - there was a serious point in there. von Klaeden - it is a bit scary. Just one of those times that the Photoshop worked out very effectively! :-) Yes, perhaps I was wrong to bring in handbag wars – there was a serious point in there.

von Klaeden – it is a bit scary. Just one of those times that the Photoshop worked out very effectively! :-)

]]> By: Carl Gardner http://www.jonworth.eu/german-election-gender-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-124329 Carl Gardner Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21:08 +0000 http://www.jonworth.eu/?p=2592#comment-124329 I agree with you Jon - Caroline Flint's "window-dressing" whinge was totally undermined by her own readiness to sit in the window. But I think you're wrong to bring the "handbag wars" into it. It was silly that that descended into questions about how much the politicians spent on their own bags, yes. But Harman's point was a very good one: she was simply trying to draw attention to the problem of inequality as manifested in conspicuous consumption, and to hang her point on a clear image. The fact that she used handbags I think shows no more than that she wants women to exist in our political imagination rather than to be invisible. I suspect she may feel our political thinking and language is all very male. I don't like blaming "the media" but in this case I think it was journalists rather than politicians who tried to turn it into a "cat-fight" story. Your version of von Klaeden is weirdly convincing. Is it his mum? I agree with you Jon – Caroline Flint’s “window-dressing” whinge was totally undermined by her own readiness to sit in the window.

But I think you’re wrong to bring the “handbag wars” into it. It was silly that that descended into questions about how much the politicians spent on their own bags, yes. But Harman’s point was a very good one: she was simply trying to draw attention to the problem of inequality as manifested in conspicuous consumption, and to hang her point on a clear image. The fact that she used handbags I think shows no more than that she wants women to exist in our political imagination rather than to be invisible. I suspect she may feel our political thinking and language is all very male. I don’t like blaming “the media” but in this case I think it was journalists rather than politicians who tried to turn it into a “cat-fight” story.

Your version of von Klaeden is weirdly convincing. Is it his mum?

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