Women in politics - A persistent anachronism

Recruiting anybody to become active in politics, to commit to working in our democratic process seems ever more difficult. It is, despite all of the blather about perks and pensions, often an endless and almost thankless task.

It seems our politicians are too often mired in the moment much to the neglect of the future; their work is very often focussed on the short term rather than shaping long-term objectives or possibilities.

In our culture the relationship between voter and politician seems more based on what a politician can deliver — and the squeaky wheel always gets the most grease — instead of what might be achieved by working on an entirely different plane. That dysfunctional system is difficult enough for men but, as a new report prepared for the Cabinet shows, it is prohibitively so for women, especially those planning a family or those with young children. Not only is this wrong it is plainly stupid.