Despite the number of women in office roles increasing in recent years, the media has continued to slam professional females for their appearance.
According to UN Women, in 2023, women account for more than 35.5 per cent of elected members in parliaments across 141 countries. Last year, Rwanda was named the country with the highest share of women in parliament worldwide, with 61.3 per cent of Rwandan parliament being female.
However, while there are more than three million female politicians across the globe, women are still being criticised for their fashion choices, interests and age.
Just two months ago, former Prime Minister Taro Aso told Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa that she “wasn’t that good-looking.”
Kamikawa, 71, said that the slur did not warrant a response and chose to focus on her diplomatic work instead. In the UK, female officials have been subjected to the same sexism as well. Here are some notable and ridiculous examples…
MP Tracy Brabin:
In February 2020, MP Tracy Brabin came under fire for wearing an off-the-shoulder black dress while raising a point in order in the House of Commons.
In response to the slamming, the Mayor of West Yorkshire said that she was “startled by the vitriolic nature” of some of the abuse she faced online.
“Women around the world… are being demeaned every day because of what they wear,” she added, revealing that the mass publicity of the garment had resulted in the ASOS dress “flying off the shelves.”
Brabin has since auctioned off the scandalous black dress, which sold for more than £1,600.
The proceeds were put towards Girlguiding, a charity for girls and young women across the UK, “in the hope that they grow up to be leaders”, the Yorkshire Mayor explained.
As well as a career in left-wing politics, Brabin has appeared in ITV’s Coronation Street, the BBC’s Eastenders, ITV’s Emmerdale and various other television series, including Midsomer Murders, Holby City and Law & Order.
Since then, the Mayor of West Yorkshire has also written short films for the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Brabin has also written for The Story of Tracy Beaker, Family Affairs, Shameless, Doctors, Hollyoaks, Heartbeat, Seacht and Crossroads.
Using her writing to advocate for minorities in the UK, the Yorkshire Mayor also volunteers as a writing mentor for Freedom from Torture, a non-profit organisation that provides asylum seekers and refugees who have survived torture with specialist psychological therapy to help them recover and rebuild their lives in the UK.
MP Liz Truss
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss, notorious for being in office for just 13 days, was slammed by the media for wearing the same dress in multiple different colours.
Multiple news outlets criticised Truss after she attended conferences and events in the same £180 Karen Millen dress at least three times.
With a focus on her appearance, outlets reported that the Conservative MP wore the garment in red during her first official speech as prime minister, in blue during a televised debate with current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and in green for her final resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street.
The former prime minister, who was also ridiculed in a video montage by Channel 4 News for being a fan of Taylor Swift, has been a Member of Parliament for almost 14 years, advocates for equal rights as the Minister for Women and Equalities, and is the co-founder of Free Enterprise Group.