The Impact of Social Policies on Government serving Women
Until I talked to a group of politicians in the United States and Sweden, I had never known that both countries had different proportions of women serving in government and actively participating in national politics. I could barely imagine that the United States, with its worldwide-known civilization and democracy, could register a lower number of women politicians and government-employed women than Sweden. Surprisingly, discussion sessions in each of the two countries indicated that Swedish women were more likely to attend a political function than American women, raising concern about what could be causing such disparities.
Grounding the issue, it clearly came out that social policies, particularly the parental leave, contributed significantly to women’s participation in political events and functions. The fact that some countries, such as Sweden, had longer and paid parental leave gave women ample time and opportunity to participate in other society events, including politics, without being worried about time wastage and missed payments. Conversely, other countries, such as the United States, provided shorter and unpaid parental leave, denying women sufficient time to engage in other activities such as politics. No wonder the Swedish political discussion constituted a higher number of women than those who had attended the United State’s session.
Essentially, parental leave affected women’s ability to attend political activities and their representation in the United States’ Congress and the Swedish parliament. While women in the United States held only 20% of the Congress seats, the Swedish women occupied 43.6% of all the national parliament seats. Ideally, women in Sweden are more likely to advance and advocate their interests due to their high number in the parliament than those in the United States. The legislation and policies enacted in Sweden are likely to reflect gender balance and equality than those in the United States.
Unfortunately, parental leave’s effects extend to other essential elements of human life, including health and well-being. Paid and longer parental leave, like those offered in Sweden, give women sufficient time to relax from their busy schedules, a period they can use for physical exercise and other refreshing activities. On the other hand, shorter and unpaid parental leave deny women sufficient time to concentrate on health-promoting activities, predisposing them to common lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. The amount of time a mother has for her family equally correlates to the kind of parental leave provided for her.
Ideally, it is wise to consider other factors contributing to reduced women participation in United States politics and increased participation in Sweden. At this point, the entire discussion is not centered on unpaid or paid parental leave but on cultural elements that either promote or limit the ability of women to express themselves and make choices freely. As history would always remind us, the United States’ women have had the roughest road towards realizing equality and the right to participate in elections. Unfortunately, this historical injustice, coupled with the cultural perception that women are inferior to men, still affects their political activities today, influencing their participation in political forums and their representation in Congress.
Importantly, like Sweden, the United States can achieve significant women’s participation in various national events by introducing policies that promote gender equality. Having identified unpaid and shorter parental leave as one reason for reduced participation in political affairs, the government should enact policies that provide for paid and longer parental leave for women. The United States’ government needs to recognize that women play major family roles and, unlike men, would rarely have sufficient time for other activities.