There’s big discussions in my country right now whether one should introduce a women’s quota for political positions, e.g. requiring at least 50% of the elected politicians to be female. While I’m not that much interested in such a discussion in a bourgeois state, it did make me think about how this would be tackled in a socialist state. China comes to mind, where women in the congress are still a very clear minority. Thoughts?
More! Female! Capitalist! Overlords!
👏 👏 👏 👏
I think Marx’s quote “these measures will, of course, be different in different countries” is applicable here. Exactly how socialist countries promote better representation of women in government will depend on the unique history and conditions of each country. There is no universal model for legislation in this regard.
Not saying you are doing this, but a lot of the time the gender disparity in the Chinese government is brought up in less than good faith, to make gullible westerners think that “we” are the progressive ones. It is very possible that China could be doing more to promote gender equality. But ultimately, that is an issue for the Chinese themselves to solve; none of our prescriptions are going to be remotely useful or effective, because we simply don’t understand the material reality of China well enough. One of the things which differentiates Marxism from liberalism is the understanding that the level of social development can never be higher than the level of economic development. On paper, a lot of western countries are more “progressive” than China with regard to so-called “social issues.” But western laws on women’s rights, gender equality, etc., are for the vast majority of the population meaningless and ineffective, because the level of economic development ensures disparity and stratification. In short, women’s and minority rights in China are on an upward trajectory, because the level of economic development in the entire country is on an upward trajectory. Don’t fall for liberal moralizing: women’s rights in China are only going to get better, while here in the west, they will only get worse. Our job is to fight the big problems right here, not the smaller ones half a world away.
Cuba has no such rules, and Women are very close to the ideal representation in congress. I think we should study exactly why women in Cuba have more political power compared to China, where women are underrepresented, but similar levels to the USA. Once we see the differences between Cuba and other places, we can resolve the conditions that block women from entering politics, or if purely a cultural issue, then we can consider quotas, though I doubt the reason is purely cultural.
It’s essential in any system to combat biais with affirmative action. This will change very little in a bourgeois state, but it could definitely be a good thing in a worker’s state.
The ones who argue against affirmative action in bourgeois states do so within a liberal framework, so there is no point in supporting them. There is also no point in making this a priority for revolutionaries to actively support bourgeois politics. Passive support is therefore what I think is the best.
Everyone. Needs. To. Be. Deprogrammed. From. Patriarchy.
Every gender is guilty of it. Men are the most guilty.
