Society

Don't call me a lady

Rose Galt

In the aftermath of the pre-election incident inevitably and depressingly designated 'Bigotgate', Mrs Duffy sufficiently recovered her sang froid to share with the expectant media what has really upset her about the ex-PM's remarks. And it was not the word 'bigoted', but that he called her a 'woman' and not a 'lady'.
     Words almost fail me. I hate the word 'lady'. It raises images of posh totties gathered over coffee to complain about the difficulties of getting staff these days. Or the niche market magazine of that name where said staff are recruited. Or public loos.
     The need that some people feel to distinguish between one type of female and another surely reflects an age that is past or ought to be. On the one hand there is the distasteful smack of class distinction and knowing one's place; on the other the equally reprehensible hint of separate moralities.
     Frank Sinatra in 'Pal Joey' attributed his success in the seduction game to following the maxim: 'Treat a dame like a lady and a lady like a dame'. Not very politically correct these days, but we know what he meant. But that was Chicago in the 1920s. In 2010 and in the light of the political events of the last two weeks, we need to shout loudly 'We are women; we are happy to share the world with men (not 'gentlemen'); we refuse to be marginalised as either 'ladies' or 'dames'.'
     Our new power elite in Westminster is overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly white. The power brokers over that historic weekend were 12 men educated at public schools and Oxford with the honourable exceptions of William Hague and Danny Alexander who both went to comprehensive schools. There are four women in the cabinet, but only one, Theresa May, in a key post. She is home secretary, but they've thrown in responsibility for women and equality in case she has a spare five minutes. However her record in areas of concern to women such as abortion rights, IVF and adoption rights for other than the 'family' so beloved of Tory spokespersons gives little cause for rejoicing among feminists like me.
     Here are some sobering figures about women in cabinets elsewhere: Spain 53%; Germany 37%; France 33%; Italy 27%; Belgium 23%. If we look at the Commons as a whole, the picture is even more bleak. The UK now stands at position number 52 in the international table of women's representation, about level with the United Arab Emirates and below Rwanda, Sweden and Afghanistan. When we here in Scotland fulminate angrily against the democratic deficit now enshrined in the UK parliament for the next five years we should think too of these statistics with deep shame.
     Those countries with better records than ours didn't achieve them by accident. If there are more women in these parliaments it is generally because steps have been taken to ensure the election of women by reserving places for them. For instance in Spain a parliament must have 40% men and 40% women (rest gender optional). I believe with deep conviction that the only way to redress our representational inequalities in less than a couple of hundred years is by such positive action. Can you just hear Sir Huffington Buffington from the depth of the Tory shires expostulating against any such move and defending the need to 'keep the ladies in their place'?
     The words we use to clothe our thoughts matter. To get back for a moment to Mrs Duffy, as soon as she used the word 'these' in relation to the 'flocking' immigrants from Eastern Europe, she gave her game away. Scots will know that the formulation 'they teachers' is never the introduction to a compliment. 'Lady' is essentially patronising, specially when used by men. It is redolent of unequal rules in male bastions such as golf clubs and, yes, Labour parties in central Scotland. 'Woman' like 'man' is both accurate and neutral. I and almost all the women I know don't want to be called anything else.
     We need more women not only in parliament but in positions of power and influence in public life. The only place we need more 'ladies' is with apostrophes to help equalise the length of these queues outside the facilities where – as usual – it's easier if you're a man.

Rose Galt is past-president of the Educational Institute of Scotland