Gender Equality in Politics and the Media

In recent years, many countries approved gender quotas on the boards of the public sector and listed private companies. The objective is to set quantitative and time targets to achieve a better balance. Also, in many countries changes were made to the electoral law for local authority bodies (municipalities), which included extending the scope of application of the parity law, ranging from 33% to 50% of the setting of the gender parity threshold. These measures aim to promote equality between men and women in positions of leadership and greater responsibility. Indeed, the higher up one rises in the hierarchy of power, the greater the gender imbalances. These glass ceilings can be seen in companies, politics, and the media. Legislative initiatives have activated the gender equality agenda and contributed to making inequalities between men and women more socially visible and unacceptable. This chapter will specifically address the issue of gender equality in politics and the media with three underlying questions: How is female identity constructed in the political field? How is the media representation of female political identity constructed? How is female political identity socially perceived? It is also questioned whether politics is gendered from the point of view of journalists.