Women are a voting force
EDITORIAL: WHAT OTHERS THINK
Apoll released this week in the United States is the latest example of a trend that is having repercussions in the political world, not just south of the border, but also in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The report shows that young women are less likely than male millennials and older adults to fall into party lines on public policy — in this case the topic was immigration.
The survey of 8,189 adults living in the United States, including 832 female millennials, was conducted as part of a Vanity Fair millennial project by that magazine’s the Hive online newsletter, as well as Survey Monkey and theSkimm — an online news site run by and for millennial women.
Newspapers like this one survey readers and parse results according to age and gender, typically finding that men of all ages like sports, politics and business news, while women readers are more likely to respond to lifestyles articles, with a distinct lack of interest in anything political. (We know, we know — not all women.) But that may be changing. As the #metoo movement against sexual misconduct gains traction, we are seeing more young women standing up collectively to point out wrongs in the world and in their communities — and solutions to fix those injustices.
Last week, more than 140 survivors of sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar joined hands on stage to be honoured with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2018 ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award). Nassar abused these young women for 30 years before complaints by the gymnasts and their parents were taken seriously by the U.S. gymnastics team and University of Michigan, where he practised. In January of this year, he was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for his deeds. His crimes were particularly heinous and involved scores of little girls and young women. But this is only one example of sexual abuse the world has heard of since the Donald Trump “Access Hollywood” tapes were released in October 2016 showing the then presidential hopeful bragging about grabbing women’s genitals without their consent.
Before that, of course, Canada had our own sexual assault scandal involving a celebrity when Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted in court but convicted in public perception of sexual assault charges that brought an end to his successful broadcasting career. And here in Charlottetown, we have our own sexual assault cases taking place. Some are more highprofile than others, and some never make it past the “unfounded” stage with the investigating agencies. This newsroom gets calls about all of them — usually by frustrated young women wanting justice. Sometimes those women are complete strangers but they feel compelled to stand by their sisters.
Assault cases and immigration are only two issues where the millennial woman is demonstrating an interest.
The X marked by each of these women at the ballot box weighs the same as each one by every other voter. But as a collective, they are a force our politicians and policy makers should not ignore.
An editorial from the Charlottetown Guardian (distributed by The Canadian Press)