"Tsai Ing-wen is a decaying cha" "It is not a sin not to get married, but she did not know this heart because she had not had children." As the presidential election drew near, opponents had repeatedly made sexist remarks in attacking Tsai Ing-wen. Why is sexism so common in politics? What are the dilemmas of female politicians in politics? Gender observation, which takes you through the analysis.
With only 26 days left in the 2020 presidential election, the community's interest in candidates has grown and politics has become the most talked about topic on the Internet. The current president, Tsai Ing-wen, is entering the election and is looking forward to re-election.
Tsai Ing-wen was elected president in 2016 with 56% of the vote. As the world's 19th female leader and Taiwan's first female president, Tsai Ing-wen opened up another vision of politicians.
Now women can do anything. The president can do it, and so can the commander-in-chief.
In fact, Sanna Marin, the world's youngest prime minister, was sworn in only last week on December 10th. In addition to being a woman herself, the five parties in the coalition government she is about to lead are also women as party leaders. In addition, women will make up 47% of the Finnish Parliament in 2019. (Extended reading:"Equality is the foundation of everything" To the women's leadership of Finland's youngest prime minister, Sanna Marin.
We don't need to be defined by others. In your field of expertise, insist on commitment, you are their own son-in-law.
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As more and more women enter the political arena or take leadership positions, we can see how women's influence can change the world. However, in modern society, female politicians are still often treated with gender discrimination and gender stereotypes.
"No child, don't know this heart" political sexism
On December 12, 2019, KMT vice-presidential candidate Zhang Good Governance expressed his opinion on new residents' health care, referring to rival Tsai Ing-wen: "I'm sorry to say that Tsai Ing-wen is not married, it is not a crime to marry, but she doesnot know because she has not had children." 」
As soon as this remark came out, it immediately got into trouble. According to the Free Times , Lin Jingyi , a spokesman for Tsai Ing-wen's campaign office , said Zhang should apologize to all men and women across Taiwan , and that his remarks discriminated not only against women who did not have children , but also against men who had no reproductive experience , but who had the ability to take care of their children . (Recommended reading:"Gender Watch" Yang Shiguang says Tsai Ing-wen is "not qualified to talk about the next generation": Why do people always condone gender gaffes? ) )
To this day, some people still hold the myth that "women should get married and have children", otherwise she may be seen as an alternative.
Why can't Tsai Ing-wen be the same mother without getting married and having children? Does every male politician have parenting experience?
"Being a parent doesn't mean you can automatically understand other parents. If you're married and a two-earner, you still have to empathy to understand the life of a single mother. 」
""I'm not do not're automatic ally you will understand ar sia. You will need still empathy in order to put yourself in the shoes of a single mother living on the if you are married and running a house on two-for-pays."
- Isabel Hardman, a leading British political journalist
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Such criticism and views also reflect a degree of crude understanding and rudeness of female politicians. Tsai Ing-wen did not have children, but that doesn't mean she doesn't respect them or understand them.
In 2019, there are two warm little things. In July, a parent hoped that Tsai Ing-wen would sign a note on the girl's clothes, and that Tsai ing-wen should show respect for the children with the girl's consent, and on November 2nd, a little girl drew a card for Tsai Ing-wen, who was reluctant to film it for reporters, saying only that "I can see it myself", drew praise from netizens. After all, in the face of young children, adults often forget to respect the word, Tsai Ing-wen only remembers.
Marriage or reproductive choice is never the criterion for judging a person's empathy or professionalism in job performance.
The Dilemma of Female Politicians: Can You Rule without a Family?
Zhang's speech reinforced the gender stereotype of women and could also be seen in gender myths.
Tsai Ing-wen is not married, has no children, does not have a "family" (wait, who says single, living with a cat and dog is not a family?) ), can still govern.
In "This is love girl, is also tired of women" book, it refers to the dual dilemma of women in politics. "Female politicians must exhibit the qualities of masculinity (decisiveness and fearlessness), but this so-called leadership trait is seen as a gender role that is increasingly unnatural; 」
Simply put, under mainstream social values, "male gender roles" are the same as "leadership roles" (self-confidence, dominance, ambition), while "female gender roles" are the opposite of "leadership roles" traits, leading to women's dual dilemmas when they are in politics or as leaders.
From the second half of 2018 to the end of 2019, we've seen a lot of sexist comments about women in politics. (Recommended reading:Gender Watch: From "Back House" to "Political Prostitution", when politics will get rid of female slurs and sexual humiliation)
- November 21, 2019: Presidential candidate South Korea's Yu likens Taiwan to "Miss" and "sit sits on the table playing mahjong, three men fight you."
- June 4, 2019: Koo Kwan-min says Tsai Ing-wen "can abdicate as a mother to young boys." 」
- April 26, 2019: KMT presidential candidate Terry Gou says his wife is the back court, "the back palace is not in politics."
- April 26, 2019: Writer Wu Xianghui calls Tsai Ing-wen a "political slur" and defines it as "a publicly selling of party-nominated comrades, openly colluding with a rival of the party, and a full political adulterer."
- November 17, 2018: KMT Chairman Wu Dunyi insinuates Chen Ju as a "fat sow."
- September 19, 2018: New North Mayor Hou Youyi says to female hosts, "Young sister, you don't look safe."
- August 4, 2018: Kaohsiung Mayor South Korea Yu says "men take the world as their home and women take home as their own".
- August 1, 2018: Taipei Mayor Ke Wenzhe says that the one-day staff's video viewing rate is more than 10 million hits, so that his staff can "learn to eat with their sister."
"Skirts" are often a collective picture of women, as can be seen from the bathroom signs. And Koo Kwan-min said: "Wearing a skirt is not suitable to be the commander-in-chief of the three armies." More prominent, discrimination against Tsai's "gender identity" is highlighted - because Tsai almost never wore a dress. It is not Tsai Ing-wen's political work that is criticized, but her gender.
"The ideology of sexism usually encompasses a variety of defaults, beliefs, theories, stereotypes, and a wide range of cultural narratives that present a wide variety of differences between men and women in some way, and if these differences are true, are recited to be true, or at least may be true, the rational public is more inclined to support and participate in the social framework under the patriarchal logic." " Not just weary women." Kate Mann.
When a politician makes a sexist statement in public and clearly, it should not be easily taken with the word "gaffe". Individuals are political, and gender always exists in everyday life.
If even President Tsai Ing-wen is criticized for her gender identity, it is conceivable how often ordinary women are sexist in their lives.
Hopefully one day you'll call me president, not a woman. Gender should not be a decision to judge an individual's performance.
From Tsai Ing-wen's example, does a female head of state or leader have to be less error-free and more in line with everyone's expectations in order to get the respect they deserve? Looking forward to one day, we can finally take away the discriminatory perspective, but also give women a fair treatment.
When Taiwan had its first female president, it did mean a big step forward in gender equality, but it was still not enough. It is hoped that in the future, in Taiwan, women who enter the political field and become leaders will no longer be the "vision" that will be put forward for great writing. Like the Finnish cabinet, more women have the opportunity to appear in the political sphere.