Women in Politics and the Workplace
Alice: I’d like to look at a topic brought up in an article I just read today online, which looked at the new majority-female Spanish cabinet.
Alice: The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, appointed 11 women and six men to his cabinet, and made Carmen Calvo, a former culture minister, his deputy prime minister.
Alice: This seems to be a real step forward by Spain in terms of women’s equality.
Alice: This article mentioned that the United Nations reported that only 18.3 percent of government minister positions were held by women around the globe, versus 22.8 percent the previous year.
Alice: I would like to look at the topic further, by opening it up to discussion on the representation of women in political roles and the Criminal Justice System.
Alice: I’m sure you all know someone who was subjected to discrimination or prejudice at work.
Alice: Are female politicians treated equally to their male counterparts? Is this true also of the courts? Do you think men should have special training on how to treat women as their equals?
Alice: Do you think that we should have quotas for the number of women that should be hired in any given job? I’m opening the floor now to you, to talk of past experiences, your thoughts on this subject, and what could possibly be done.
Alice: Men are very welcome to add to the discussion.
Vocabulary:
brought up – (phrasal verb) introduced a specific topic or idea into a conversation so people can discuss it, “She brought up the problem of high food prices during the family meeting.”
cabinet – a group of senior government ministers or officials chosen to advise a leader and make major political decisions, “The president met with his cabinet to discuss the new national tax laws.”
appointed – officially chosen or selected by someone in power for a job, position, or specific duty, “The manager appointed Tom to lead the new project team on Monday.”
deputy – a person who is the second-in-command or chief assistant to an important leader, acting as the leader when needed, “When the school principal was out sick, the deputy principal took charge of the graduation ceremony.”
representation – the act or state of having a person or group speak, act, or stand for others in an official or political setting, “Many factory workers feel they need better representation on the company’s executive board.”
Criminal Justice System – the complete network of laws, police forces, courts, and prisons that work together to handle crimes and punish lawbreakers, “The lawyer has spent her entire life working inside the Criminal Justice System.”
subjected to – forced to experience or endure something highly unpleasant, uncomfortable, or annoying, “The passengers were subjected to a long three-hour wait at the airport because of bad weather.”
discrimination – the unfair, prejudicial treatment of a person or a group of people based on their gender, race, age, or appearance, “The local law strictly protects job applicants against any form of employment discrimination.”
prejudice – an unfair, negative opinion or strong feeling formed about someone without a good reason or actual knowledge, “Deep prejudice against foreigners can make it incredibly difficult for immigrants to find good housing.”
counterparts – people or things that have exactly the same job, position, or purpose as someone else but in a different place, group, or country, “The local police chief met with his international counterparts to talk about security.”
quotas – official limits, shares, or fixed numbers of people or things that are legally required or allowed in a specific situation, “The shipping firm has strict monthly quotas for the number of boxes they must deliver.”
opening the floor – (idiom) inviting an audience, class, or group of people to start talking, asking questions, or sharing their personal opinions, “After finishing his short presentation, the teacher said he was opening the floor to the students.”