Women’s Organizations of Political Parties: Formal Possibilities, Informal Challenges and Discursive Controversies

Abstract

Feminist research focusing on gender policy successes in the 1990s and 2000s emphasized the strengths of women's organizations of political parties in advancing key gender equality issues in Finland. However, both the "feminism" and "politics" of political parties' women's organizations, hitherto apparent in Finland and elsewhere in Europe, are now deemed outdated, a paradox that is critically explored in this article. The analysis is based on interview data with women and men politicians and party workers and is structured around the key research question: how are the women's organizations of political parties discursively constructed by the interviewed politicians and party workers and with what effects? These discursive constructions are studied in relation to: (i) the formal institutional position of the women's organizations of political parties, (ii) informal institutional position vis-à-vis the mother party, and (iii) discursive controversies surrounding their feminism and politics. The discourse analysis reveals the contradictions and challenges faced by women's political organizations in contemporary politics.

Populism and feminist politics: The cases of Finland and Spain

“…The interviewees also said that the relationship between the party and its women's organisation was close because of personal relations to the leadership (see also Kantola ). ‘Mutual trust’ was a key factor (Interview, 7 March 2014).…”

“…It is channel for being part of politics and it gets financial support that makes it possible to undertake activities that wouldn't be possible without resources. (Interview, 6 March 2014) The interviewees also said that the relationship between the party and its women's organisation was close because of personal relations to the leadership (see also Kantola 2019). 'Mutual trust' was a key factor (Interview, 7 March 2014).…”

“…The final dimension we focused upon was spaces within political parties that are dedicated to gender‐specific issues. These take the form of women's or men's sections, or feminist spaces (Childs & Kittilson ; Kantola ). In Finland, the nature of party funding allowed for the establishment of the ‘Finns Women’ ( Perusnaiset ), which is counter balanced by a men's group the ‘Finns Blokes’ ( Perusäijät ).…”

Changing Feminist Politics in a ‘Strategic State’

“…For instance, in Finland, Holli argues that the political parties' women's organisations are a special case. She finds them as most active of the women's groups and suggests that they should have a place in the triangle (Holli 2008, p. 175; see also Holli 2006, p. 137, for a recent critique of this see Kantola 2019). The velvet triangle also assumes stability that may not exist in these co-operation and partnership practices (Holli 2008, p. 177).…”

Equal Opportunities in Romanian Politics - Work in Progress. A Chronological and Spatial Analysis of Women's Participation in Political Life

“…Political parties are the key gate-keepers and power players for fair representation of women and ethnic or racialized minorities [1] (Kantola, 2018) and their policies can promote women within political life or block their access. However, it must be emphasized that Romania's experience with pluralism is not a vast one, being able to talk about such a thing on the Romanian territory only during 1918-1938 and then, after the Fall of Communism in 1989.…”