Problems in Parliament
European leader’s sexist comments draw backlash
“Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent and they must earn less. That is all.”
Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Janusz Korwin-Mikke spoke these words in the European Parliament March 1, 2017, according to USA Today. He preceded that statement by giving examples of how women are “less intelligent” than men.
“Do you know which was the place in the Polish theoretical physics Olympiad, the first place of women, of girls? I can tell you: 800th,” Korwin-Mikke said. “Do you know how many women are in the first 100 chess players? I can tell you: not one.”
As a young woman in America in the 21st century, I would have never expected to hear someone speak like this today. I was shocked when I first saw the headlines. They’re words I would expect to read in a history textbook rather than the news in 2017.
Equally shocked was Iratxe Garcia Perez, a Spanish MEP, who responded by saying, “I know it hurts you. I know it hurts and worries you that today women can sit in this house and represent European citizens with the same right as you. I am here to defend all European women from men like you.”
Korwin-Mikke is no stranger to controversy. European Politico noted, “In 2015, Polish prosecutors investigated him after he made a Nazi salute during a speech in the European parliament, and he has previously been suspended from Parliament.”
The article adds European Parliament President Antonio Tajani launched an investigation into Korwin-Mikke’s misogynistic speech that could result in the suspension of Korwin-Mikke from the Parliament.
Korwin-Mikke’s remarks came at the beginning of March, which is Women’s History Month and a little over a week before International Women’s Day, March 8. Coming at the beginning of the month, the statements serve as an unfortunate reminder of why a month honoring women came into existence. It also serves as a reminder that while life for Western women has improved greatly in the past 100 years, nothing is perfect, and there is still progress that needs to happen.
Despite any issues that still need to be worked on, hearing someone say that women “must earn less” because they are “weaker,” “smaller” and “less intelligent” than men is almost an anomaly that shocks people who hear it. I’m thankful that in America and other Western nations these are rare statements that shock people and not commonly held beliefs.
However, what might be rare in the West is not rare in other places. In Saudi Arabia, where women cannot drive and they voted for the first time in 2015, according to BBC, misogyny is still prevalent. We should do what we can to help women in places like Saudi Arabia, while at the same time remembering that there are still issues to be dealt with at home. These issues are not new, and they are no less important. We need to make sure people in positions of power will address and uphold the rights of women all around the world.
Depiero is an opinion writer.