The United States celebrated a historic moment yesterday as Hillary Clinton secured enough delegates to become the first female presumptive nominee for the presidential election.
Today, there’s a lot of talk about glass ceilings being smashed to pieces. Finally, a woman looks set to (probably, we can’t even imagine the alternative) become the most powerful person in the world.
Sorry to be a downer, but i’m not (yet) convinced the ground’s covered in shards of glass.
The glass ceiling can be repaired just as quickly as it can be broken.
We only need to consider Australia’s experience, and the experience of so many other women to achieve such a powerful ‘first’ all over the world. Getting one woman through is helpful, but it doesn’t magically establish an unofficial 50/50 quota of leadership positions in the future.
Australia once had a female prime minister in Julia Gillard. We’ll remember she was subjected to some serious sexism during her time, including her then rival in Opposition Tony Abbott speaking in front of a ‘ditch the witch’ sign. It was a hostile parliament and a hostile media that greeted her in office. Just three years and three days later, she was gone again, and the thought of another woman occupying the role became a distant dream. In the space of around 12 months, Australia lost a female PM, a female Governor General, as well as a number of female premiers and ministers. The Abbott Government ministry’s first front bench featured just one woman, Julia Bishop. Abbott said at the time that other talented women were ‘knocking at the door’, as if there had never been any women in the room.
As for the idea of our daughters seeing a women at the top and being inspired to expand their own ambitions, well that too can quickly come undone. Last year a University of Sydney study found that women with more traditional values had been put off pursuing a career in politics following Gillard’s experience. It led them to be “fearful of a backlash” like what Gillard experienced, and just like we can possibly expect Clinton to experience, especially up against republican nominee Donald Trump.
According to another study by the YWCA of Adelaide, women (especially those over 31) were found to have been “greatly affected by the negative portrayal of Julia Gillard throughout her term as Prime Minister.” Their aspirations to enter politics were particularly affected by media representations, but so too were their desires to pursue leadership positions in general.
Seeing a woman achieve a significant position of power is a massive first step, and one that should be celebrated. But in the context of ‘smashing the glass ceiling’ it can also unearth a hidden layer of misogyny across the media, and the general public. Particularly as it becomes clear that she’s not actually perfect. For Gillard, the negativity she experienced in the mainstream media was nothing compared to what emerged on social media networks and in the comments section of blogs, where labels like ‘bitch’ and ‘witch’ were some of the softer terms used. Gillard’s time in the top job was historic, but we’ll remember it also led to actual conversations about whether ‘Australia was ready for a female PM’.
Clinton has certainly experienced her own share of misogyny and sexism in her time. She’s one of the most experienced candidates ever put forward, but her gender will still no doubt be an issue. Clinton can certainly handle it. The question is whether those she represents can.
Clinton’s win is important and it’s a major breakthrough. But we can only consider the glass ceiling smashed when we simply don’t talk about it anymore. For as long as putting a woman in a position of power is historic, we still run the risk of losing everything.
Watch Hillary Clinton’s full victory speech below.