Attitudes of women politicians about women's political participation in Serbia: Five years later

Abstract

In this paper author explores aspects of women's political participation in Serbia. In the first part of the paper will point out the opportunities for women to be engaged in politics and the impact of political culture on political participation of women. In the second part of the paper will be analyzed empirical data on the position and influence of politicians in Serbia, based on qualitative research with women politicians that took place in 2011/2012. The aim of the text is to determine the similarities and changes in the attitudes of women politicians on women's political participation. We will compare the data from two qualitative research, 2007 and 2011/2012. In both surveys women politicians have pointed out that there are still prejudices about women in politics and prejudice are shown by politicians and citizens, and to some extent more frequently in the 2011/2012 survey they emphasize that it is essential that politicians should fight against those prejudice. In both research they suggest that politics is a creative and demanding profession, but in new research women politicians more frequently emphasize that it is necessary to make politics more professional. The motivation for political involvement varies depending on the social context and the age of the women politicians. In both researches women politicians emphasize that the initial motivation for a change of the social system gave way to the motive of political careerism. There are to clearly stated attitudes of women politicians: one is attitude of women who have become aware that their motives for political engagement were different at the beginning of their political career and now, and a second one is that politics wont be their occupation for life. According to the self-assessment of politicians from both researches the contribution of women in politics is great and most of them are satisfied, but also self-critical towards their political activities. In the 2011/2012 survey some politicians often emphasize strategies and laws that are enacted as a product of women's political lobbying, satisfied with what they have achieved, but also aware that it is a long way from passage of legislation and policies to their implementation in the society.

Keywords

• political elite
• recruitment patterns
• gender equality
• qualitative researches