Politics is a woman

This is what Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of 20-first, an organization that implements strategies for gender equality in business, has to say. It is hard not to agree with her. It is equally hard to resist the impression that the statement “women are softening politics” contains a barely audible note of sexism. After all, it is not about assigning them the role of magnanimous nurses in every area of ​​life, especially since the women who have so far gained a voice in politics have played this male game on male rules. However, we are currently witnessing the formation of a new political discourse in countries where women are in charge or where women’s participation in state management is significant. The fundamental change? While male politicians are eager to refer to history and pour salt on wounds, female politicians focus on current problems, and the solutions they propose demonstrate a deep social awareness. It turns out that in politics there is room for empathy, for naturalness, for genuine "reaching out to people", which many people talked about, but few dared to take a step.

When it comes to going out, it is impossible not to start with spontaneous walks on the streets of Polish cities, where since the end of October you can meet not only your work colleague, your mother-in-law and your librarian friend, but also your own MP for the 9th term of the Sejm. The involvement of (mainly) female MPs (mainly) from the Left in the common cause of women (and not only!) is an extremely edifying and... refreshing phenomenon for some parts of society. The new, female faces of Polish politics, led by Magda Biejat, reminded us all that being an MP means being a representative of the Nation. With great class, they represent, support and defend their voters during parliamentary debates, in social media, on the street, and if necessary, at the police station or with pepper spray in the eye. This is how you gain the trust of citizens.

This trust is enjoyed by more and more female politicians around the world, which – paradoxically – is being facilitated by the coronavirus pandemic. In the spring, 88 percent of New Zealanders surveyed by Colmar Brunton admitted that they trusted the steps taken by the government in the context of the new threat. The results of the survey were reflected in the results of the October elections – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party won a historic victory with the support of 50 percent of the population. Sanna Marin, the head of the Finnish government, can boast a similar 85 percent trust in these uncertain times. Where does such faith in the right decisions of politicians come from, especially in the Nordic countries? Time has shown that not all of them have managed to avoid an increase in infections! The sense of security in society was influenced not so much by the strategy to combat COVID-19, based on the introduction of modern solutions or further restrictions, but by the way representatives of the authorities communicate. And in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Finland, women rule. Their discourse is dominated by simple, honest and understandable messages, often aimed at the youngest. Taming fears, calling for solidarity and caring for others – this is how female politicians win. If not with the pandemic, then with the panic and disorientation it brings.

What distinguishes women in politics are (also) – generally speaking – priorities. Women politicians emphasize issues of equality, human rights and ecology, and the best example of this is Katrin Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland. One of the youngest heads of government in the world has to her credit statutory equalization of pay between women and men, and plans to achieve neutrality of the country in terms of carbon dioxide emissions by 2040. She invests primarily in education and healthcare (this is indicated by statistics of coronavirus infections – Iceland records only a few new cases per day - data from 23.11.2020), prosecutes sexual crimes. What is more, the involvement and effectiveness of women in politics is becoming visible at every level. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of noise about Stacey Abrams, an American politician and activist fighting for minority voting rights, who undoubtedly contributed to Joe Biden's victory. Thanks to her efforts, approximately 800,000 people registered and voted, all in the conservative state of Georgia.

The past year had its strengths, and these were precisely the small and large political successes of women, multiplying every month. In March and July, the world was abuzz with the stunning speeches of the youngest member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (the first was delivered in defense of the Democrats' ecological project, the second - against the sexist "culture of impunity"). The leader of the Belarusian opposition and presidential candidate in the August elections was Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya (the revolution in Belarus has a woman's face, and Alexander Lukashenko is so afraid to look into it that he sent an arrest warrant for Svetlana). In mid-November, Maia Sandu became the first female president of Moldova. A week earlier, the world was abuzz with the news of the first vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. We all want 2020 to be over, but let's hope that the female impact , also in politics, will carry on.

Currently, 10 European countries have women as prime ministers or presidents. Ursula von der Leyen is the President of the European Commission. The percentage of female members of the European Parliament is growing steadily and in the current term stands at 40.4 percent, and young, progressive, extremely active politicians such as Terry Reintke are gaining recognition among Europeans and media attention. It is true that only 7 percent of world leaders are not men, but the era of boulders in expensive suits, whose statements are so convoluted that you feel like calling David Lynch, is slowly coming to an end. People want to feel safe – in their own beds, in their own country, on this planet. They want someone to clean up the mess. The world is missing a female hand today.