The survey had the following objectives.
Is the public aware of the rights given to women in the Constitution regarding political participation?
Is there a gender bias in Maldivian society when it comes to politics?
What motivates/de-motivates political participation of women in Maldivian society?
The survey was aimed at 250 individuals. However, due to bad weather and the start of the fasting month, only 130 could be completed. Also, a number of individuals refused to take part citing that they did not take part in any ‘political’ activity. Even after explaining to those individuals that the survey was apolitical and just for academic purpose, they refused.
The first part of the Questionnaire was based on variables that could be used to compare the results with. These variables included gender, which was obviously an important issue as your own gender could change your perceptions on social values, culture, etc. Age group was an important variable because with age, changes attitudes towards norms and culture. Employment status and level of education, also reflects on the level of social interaction that could be used to determine awareness of social issues. In various cultures, wives cannot act independent of their husbands. Therefore, marital status was also asked. In the Maldives, there exists various differences between atolls and Male’, the capital; economically, education opportunities, social interaction. This difference may extend to attitudes towards political participation of women.
The second part of the Questionnaire was based on the present situation and knowledge of the constitution and laws. These questions aimed to find the awareness of the respondents and also to assess the favorability ratings of current women in politics.
The third part of the Questionnaire was based on perceptions of the respondents. It was designed to find out whether a gender bias existed in politics.
All in all, the questionnaire aimed to identify the attitudes of men and women towards women in politics, awareness of rights given to women through the constitution and ultimately identify any gender bias in society.
Opportunities for women to participate in politics
When asked whether they believed opportunities existed for women to participate in politics, 87% of the respondents sad that they did, while 13% said there wasn’t enough opportunity. 86% of female said yes and 88% of the males said yes. Interestingly, the incidence where men said no was greater than women. Several respondents, who said no, said that there wasn’t freedom for women to act independently in society. 96% of the respondents who agreed that there were opportunities for women in politics, agreed that women have the opportunity to participate in a political party while 91% agreed that women have the opportunity in parliament. 89% and 82% agreed that women have opportunity to be appointed for political jobs and the cabinet respectively. These high numbers may be an indicator of the current political changes and awareness in the Maldivian society due to democratic reform and introduction of party politics.
When asked about the rights given to women by the constitution, more than 90% of the respondents agreed that the constitution and the laws gave rights to women to participate in politics. 96% of the respondents who agreed that there was legal opportunity, agreed that women have the legal right to contest for Parliament. This may again be due to the recent parliamentary election where a number of female contestants ran successful campaigns. High profile women in political parties, including as party leaders may have contributed to 88% of the respondents agreeing that there is legal opportunity to contest for party leadership. (There is no Political Party Bill at the moment, it will be proposed to the sitting Parliament when it reconvenes after their break) Maldivian cabinets have more or less always included female ministers, thus attributing to the high number, 90%. A little over half of the respondents agreed that women can contest for President legally. This may be attributed to religion and traditionally held beliefs and stereotypes about women. The Maldivian constitution does not discriminate by gender, in the qualifications for President. (Chapter 4, Article 109).
The role of tradition, norms and culture is evident when asked who they would vote for President, in a situation where there is one male and female candidate, both of equal academic and professional qualification, experience and of no connection to the candidate in terms of family, friendship or political affiliation. 65% of the surveyed said they would vote for the male candidate mainly because they believed that “women should not be involved in politics” or “women are not physically or emotionally capable” or “women have other responsibilities compared to men (family)” or “women are not trustworthy or reliable” and “religion does not allow for women to rule over men ”. Out of the females questioned, 59% said they would vote for the man and 28% for the woman. Compared to the males questioned, 17% more said they would vote for the male candidate and only 8% said they would vote for the female candidate. Respondents who said that they would vote for the female candidate said that they would do so to see a “change” and because “I am a woman myself” and because “women understand people better.” From the 15% who said no preference, most respondents agreed that it didn’t matter whether the candidate was female or male but whether they were capable and whether they were trustworthy.
Nearly all of the surveyed said that political parties provided opportunities for women to participate in politics, have an equal chance of running the party and get appointed to political positions as men.
Support for women in politics currently
A crucial part of accepting and wanting women to take part in politics is about how well women who are currently active in politics act. When asked whether they support women who are currently active in politics, 85% replied yes and 15% replied no. Respondents were then asked to rate current female politicians on 4 key areas; trustworthiness, honesty, capacity, education. For trustworthiness and honesty, 63% and 50%, respectively, answered moderate with more or less even distribution on both ends.This may be reflective of the general attitude of Maldivians towards politicians, as dishonest and selfish. However, more than half of the respondents agree that female politicians are both capable and well educated. This is also easily understood by looking at the current profiles of women in parliament and the cabinet.
Most respondents answered favourably when asked whether they thought that female members of parliament performed at the same level as men.
The survey was aimed at 250 individuals. However, due to bad weather and the start of the fasting month, only 130 could be completed. Also, a number of individuals refused to take part citing that they did not take part in any ‘political’ activity. Even after explaining to those individuals that the survey was apolitical and just for academic purpose, they refused.
The first part of the Questionnaire was based on variables that could be used to compare the results with. These variables included gender, which was obviously an important issue as your own gender could change your perceptions on social values, culture, etc. Age group was an important variable because with age, changes attitudes towards norms and culture. Employment status and level of education, also reflects on the level of social interaction that could be used to determine awareness of social issues. In various cultures, wives cannot act independent of their husbands. Therefore, marital status was also asked. In the Maldives, there exists various differences between atolls and Male’, the capital; economically, education opportunities, social interaction. This difference may extend to attitudes towards political participation of women.
The second part of the Questionnaire was based on the present situation and knowledge of the constitution and laws. These questions aimed to find the awareness of the respondents and also to assess the favorability ratings of current women in politics.
The third part of the Questionnaire was based on perceptions of the respondents. It was designed to find out whether a gender bias existed in politics.
All in all, the questionnaire aimed to identify the attitudes of men and women towards women in politics, awareness of rights given to women through the constitution and ultimately identify any gender bias in society.
Opportunities for women to participate in politics
When asked whether they believed opportunities existed for women to participate in politics, 87% of the respondents sad that they did, while 13% said there wasn’t enough opportunity. 86% of female said yes and 88% of the males said yes. Interestingly, the incidence where men said no was greater than women. Several respondents, who said no, said that there wasn’t freedom for women to act independently in society. 96% of the respondents who agreed that there were opportunities for women in politics, agreed that women have the opportunity to participate in a political party while 91% agreed that women have the opportunity in parliament. 89% and 82% agreed that women have opportunity to be appointed for political jobs and the cabinet respectively. These high numbers may be an indicator of the current political changes and awareness in the Maldivian society due to democratic reform and introduction of party politics.
When asked about the rights given to women by the constitution, more than 90% of the respondents agreed that the constitution and the laws gave rights to women to participate in politics. 96% of the respondents who agreed that there was legal opportunity, agreed that women have the legal right to contest for Parliament. This may again be due to the recent parliamentary election where a number of female contestants ran successful campaigns. High profile women in political parties, including as party leaders may have contributed to 88% of the respondents agreeing that there is legal opportunity to contest for party leadership. (There is no Political Party Bill at the moment, it will be proposed to the sitting Parliament when it reconvenes after their break) Maldivian cabinets have more or less always included female ministers, thus attributing to the high number, 90%. A little over half of the respondents agreed that women can contest for President legally. This may be attributed to religion and traditionally held beliefs and stereotypes about women. The Maldivian constitution does not discriminate by gender, in the qualifications for President. (Chapter 4, Article 109).
The role of tradition, norms and culture is evident when asked who they would vote for President, in a situation where there is one male and female candidate, both of equal academic and professional qualification, experience and of no connection to the candidate in terms of family, friendship or political affiliation. 65% of the surveyed said they would vote for the male candidate mainly because they believed that “women should not be involved in politics” or “women are not physically or emotionally capable” or “women have other responsibilities compared to men (family)” or “women are not trustworthy or reliable” and “religion does not allow for women to rule over men ”. Out of the females questioned, 59% said they would vote for the man and 28% for the woman. Compared to the males questioned, 17% more said they would vote for the male candidate and only 8% said they would vote for the female candidate. Respondents who said that they would vote for the female candidate said that they would do so to see a “change” and because “I am a woman myself” and because “women understand people better.” From the 15% who said no preference, most respondents agreed that it didn’t matter whether the candidate was female or male but whether they were capable and whether they were trustworthy.
Nearly all of the surveyed said that political parties provided opportunities for women to participate in politics, have an equal chance of running the party and get appointed to political positions as men.
Support for women in politics currently
A crucial part of accepting and wanting women to take part in politics is about how well women who are currently active in politics act. When asked whether they support women who are currently active in politics, 85% replied yes and 15% replied no. Respondents were then asked to rate current female politicians on 4 key areas; trustworthiness, honesty, capacity, education. For trustworthiness and honesty, 63% and 50%, respectively, answered moderate with more or less even distribution on both ends.This may be reflective of the general attitude of Maldivians towards politicians, as dishonest and selfish. However, more than half of the respondents agree that female politicians are both capable and well educated. This is also easily understood by looking at the current profiles of women in parliament and the cabinet.
Most respondents answered favourably when asked whether they thought that female members of parliament performed at the same level as men.
Women and Political Participation
There exists a debate in Maldivian society, whether women should be stay-at-home mothers and home makers or focused on their careers or both. Traditionally, women have always been the home-maker while the man is the bread winner. It is expected that this traditional viewpoint has changed over time with more and more working women and working mothers. When asked whether women should stay at home, work or do both almost 3/4th of the respondents answered both. It is more interesting to look at how this trend changes with age group. At the lower age groups, 18-21 and 22-30, most respondents support both working and staying at home. While 17% of young respondents believe that women should be focused towards a career, this number keeps on decreasing as the age increases. Percentage of respondents who believe that women should stay at home highest in the highest age group suggesting that older generations held the traditional belief of women staying at home. It is encouraging, however to see that most of the respondents from each age group believes that women should do both.
There exists a debate in Maldivian society, whether women should be stay-at-home mothers and home makers or focused on their careers or both. Traditionally, women have always been the home-maker while the man is the bread winner. It is expected that this traditional viewpoint has changed over time with more and more working women and working mothers. When asked whether women should stay at home, work or do both almost 3/4th of the respondents answered both. It is more interesting to look at how this trend changes with age group. At the lower age groups, 18-21 and 22-30, most respondents support both working and staying at home. While 17% of young respondents believe that women should be focused towards a career, this number keeps on decreasing as the age increases. Percentage of respondents who believe that women should stay at home highest in the highest age group suggesting that older generations held the traditional belief of women staying at home. It is encouraging, however to see that most of the respondents from each age group believes that women should do both.
It is also interesting to compare gender and preference of women’s role. Interestingly, 76% of the males answered that women should do both work and care for family while 66% of women said the same. Contrary to previous assumptions, more women said that women should stay at home than men.
Political participation can occur in several ways. From the smallest task of voting to holding the highest office in any country, can be considered political participation. 86% of the surveyed agreed that it was important for women to participate in politics. 84% of the men questioned said yes and 13% of the women questioned said no. Of the respondents who said yes, 96% agreed that women should vote while 93% and 92% said that women should be members of political parties and be appointed for political jobs, respectively. Only 60%, however, said that women should participate in political rallies. this is again, evident of the culturally acceptable roles for women; women should not go out and participate in political rallies and sit-ins and protests which are generally seen to be disruptive. A key question to ask is, whether women themselves want to be involved in politics. 63% of the respondents who said yes were female from a total of 88% who said yes.
Women and elections
We have seen that Maldivian society generally believes that there is opportunity for women to act in politics, both socially and legally and believe that it is important for women to participate in politics. Therefore, it is important to see whether a woman can successfully compete in an election. When asked whether a woman can win a party election, 92% said yes. This may be due to the fact that the party currently in government elected a female chairperson. When asked whether a woman can win a parliamentary election, nearly all of the respondents said yes. This may also be due to the fact that a number of women did run for Parliament in the last Parliamentary Elections. When asked whether a woman can win a Presidential Election, however, the numbers were slightly lesser. Only 63% believed that a woman could get enough support to win.
When asked whether they would personally support any woman who ran for President, Vice-president, Member of Parliament and Party Leader, 42% responded that they would support a woman who ran for president while 58% said no. 55% of females, interestingly, said no while more women than men said yes.
68% responded that they would support a woman who ran for vice-president while 32% said no. 66% of males said yes and 69% of females said yes
nearly 100% responded that they would support a woman who ran for Parliament. Nearly 100% of the females said yes while 94% of men said yes as well.
75% of the respondents said that they would support a woman who ran for Party Leadership. Out of the respondents who answered yes, 74% were male and 76 of the respondents were female.
Conclusion
Political participation can occur in several ways. From the smallest task of voting to holding the highest office in any country, can be considered political participation. 86% of the surveyed agreed that it was important for women to participate in politics. 84% of the men questioned said yes and 13% of the women questioned said no. Of the respondents who said yes, 96% agreed that women should vote while 93% and 92% said that women should be members of political parties and be appointed for political jobs, respectively. Only 60%, however, said that women should participate in political rallies. this is again, evident of the culturally acceptable roles for women; women should not go out and participate in political rallies and sit-ins and protests which are generally seen to be disruptive. A key question to ask is, whether women themselves want to be involved in politics. 63% of the respondents who said yes were female from a total of 88% who said yes.
Women and elections
We have seen that Maldivian society generally believes that there is opportunity for women to act in politics, both socially and legally and believe that it is important for women to participate in politics. Therefore, it is important to see whether a woman can successfully compete in an election. When asked whether a woman can win a party election, 92% said yes. This may be due to the fact that the party currently in government elected a female chairperson. When asked whether a woman can win a parliamentary election, nearly all of the respondents said yes. This may also be due to the fact that a number of women did run for Parliament in the last Parliamentary Elections. When asked whether a woman can win a Presidential Election, however, the numbers were slightly lesser. Only 63% believed that a woman could get enough support to win.
When asked whether they would personally support any woman who ran for President, Vice-president, Member of Parliament and Party Leader, 42% responded that they would support a woman who ran for president while 58% said no. 55% of females, interestingly, said no while more women than men said yes.
68% responded that they would support a woman who ran for vice-president while 32% said no. 66% of males said yes and 69% of females said yes
nearly 100% responded that they would support a woman who ran for Parliament. Nearly 100% of the females said yes while 94% of men said yes as well.
75% of the respondents said that they would support a woman who ran for Party Leadership. Out of the respondents who answered yes, 74% were male and 76 of the respondents were female.
Conclusion
Based on the answers given to the questions, we can conclude that women in Maldives can go out to work, take care of their families and also take part in politics. This is evident as most of the surveyed replied that there is opportunity for women to participate in politics. Most people also replied that women should do both work and take care of their families. Women are encouraged to take part in politics as Maldivian society views women’s participation in politics important. However, this participation is evidently discouraged at political rallies because of its unsavoury view in society. Also due to the traditional perception of women as passive.
There are rights given to women in the Constitution. The Constitution does not discriminate between women and men when contesting for President, Vice-President or Member of Parliament.[1] We can therefore conclude that Maldivian society is generally aware of the rights given to women in the Constitution; especially regarding Parliament, Cabinet and political jobs, political party membership. However, people may not be aware as well, of there being no discrimination against women to contest for president. Although half of the respondents agree that there is legal right for women to contest for president, a lesser number said that they would vote for a female or support a female candidate, most respondents saying that they would vote for a man given the choice between a female and male candidate. Pre-held beliefs and cultural elements such as interpretations of religion may influence this number.
Political parties rank favourably as providing enough opportunities for women to participate in politics rather than being setbacks. Female politicians also generally ranked as performing favourably in the 4 key areas discussed; trustworthiness, honesty, capacity and education. Most people believe that female MPs perform equally to men in the parliament. People therefore, support women who contest for Parliament and believe that they can get enough support to win.
We can conclude that apart from the office of the President, Maldivian society will accept women into political posts, parliament and parties. Women are not discouraged from participating in politics and opportunities for women exist. Women generally do not take part in politics because of pre-held beliefs about religion, women’s own capability and personality, not due to legal issues or because women perform badly in politics.
We can conclude that apart from the office of the President, Maldivian society will accept women into political posts, parliament and parties. Women are not discouraged from participating in politics and opportunities for women exist. Women generally do not take part in politics because of pre-held beliefs about religion, women’s own capability and personality, not due to legal issues or because women perform badly in politics.
This survey is not by any means conclusive and reflective of the entire Maldivian society. As said before, viewpoints would differ between the atolls and Male’. However, because of the small number of respondents and the nature of their demographic, this variable cannot be measured. The survey took place in Male’ only, which may or may not have affected the results. Education qualifications are also too sharply skewed in one direction to take into account. In conclusion, more study is needed to assess these variables.
[1] The Political Party Bill, although not yet passed by the Parliament, does not discriminate either between men and women.
2 comments:
all this done by you...?
kewl stuff here ..and great work
thanks
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