Don’t underestimate the power of the female vote

If there is one good thing to have emerged from the debate about the Morning After Pill is that it has crystallized the need for the female voice to be heard more often.

And no, this does not mean that men’s voices should not be heard as well, but there is no denying the fact that there are certain issues which hit women much closer to home and which affect them much more deeply.

In fact, it is surprising that no political party (not even the new Orange party) has ever considered taking on women’s issues as one of their main platforms.  As we saw in the last campaign there were various special interest groups which were promised (and given) a lot of things, thus successfully managing to swing the election results, so why have women, a good 50% of the vote, never been meted the same treatment by politicians?

Some will bring out the old chestnut that “women are their worst enemies” and that we women are unable to come together as one unifying force because we end up squabbling among ourselves. Yes, it’s true – that  does sometimes happen because the term ‘women’ does not embody one homogenous mass but is made up of individual personalities, beliefs and opinions. There are nice women, there are bitchy women, there are some who are likable, some who are not, some with whom you can reason, others who are irrational – you know, the same as men. There are, however, many issues on which we do agree, which require specific attention and where results can be brought about by the sheer force of our numbers.

For example, it may have come as a surprise that there was such a vociferous agreement from so many women that the MAP needed to be introduced because the reasons for banning it were not justified (even the sexual health department website has now removed all references to it being abortive or illegal).

Judging by this reaction, it became clear that since it concerns their bodies, many women had already done their research and asked questions and weighed the respective pros and cons to come to an informed decision.

The next thing they did was to start asking how MPs (especially female MPs) stood on the subject of the MAP. All eyes swivelled in the direction of politicians who came under intense scrutiny as they were asked what their position is on this issue.

It has suddenly dawned on many people that when it comes to choosing their representatives they need to look more closely at what each politician stands for on these crucial issues, and not necessarily whether they belong to “their” party or whether they happen to “like” them.

What is also significant about all this is that this issue is no longer just about emergency contraception. Just like the advocacy for divorce ceased to be just about the introduction of divorce itself, but eventually turned into a discussion about civil rights and the separation of Church and State, so too, the MAP goes way beyond just the pill itself, but is actually about what has turned out to be the misguided rationale which has kept it from being imported and sold over the counter.

It has opened up a much needed discussion about female sexuality and the judgmental attitude which still looks at sexually active girls as ‘sluts’ while sexually active guys are just given a slap on the back and a knowing wink.

It is the breaking down of another barrier, about how badly we need to discuss sexual health from a wider perspective not only to prevent unplanned pregnancies but above all to encourage more condom use to prevent STDs. It is very obvious that there is also a dire need for better sex education not only about the act itself but about how our bodies function. And yes, we also need to discuss promiscuity and its implications not only on society but on the minds and emotions of young people. While their hormones may be urging them to embark on a series of one night stands, they definitely need more guidance so that they do not eventually end up in a heap of self-loathing which will prevent them from ever forming a long-term, healthy, sexual relationship with someone, based on love and mutual respect, further down the line. 

Are these purely women’s issues? Not necessarily and nor should they be. But I bet any politician (male or female) who pushes forward policies on these matters will be noticed by female voters for the simple reason that they concern them greatly.

We also need more politicians to take up the problems faced by working mothers who need more flexible working hours; women who are discriminated against because they are pregnant, better protection for women who are victims of domestic violence, equal pay, sexual harassment at the workplace, more support for women who are left penniless after many years of marriage. The list is endless. The question is whether there is a politician out there willing to make these issues their priority?

As we have seen, the female voice (and potential vote) can be a very powerful tool indeed, and politicians who underestimate it do so at their peril.