I have spent my whole life trying to prove that women can get into politics. I'd now say to them, 'For God's sake don't do it - you'll get slaughtered.'
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Women have more to prove than men when it comes to politics.
Women are tough campaigners. They certainly know how to withstand attacks. And I think we make a mistake if we say, as some do, that women should play by different rules, or that they are somehow especially vulnerable to the rules of politics. I don't think that's true.
I've always championed women in politics. We just get stuck in; politics isn't a game. The decisions we make affect people's lives, and that is something we must all keep to the forefront of our minds.
I think sometimes women are not driven by the same, albeit, testosterone power thing that pushes men to get into politics.
The press always causes a certain amount of hesitance for people who are considering entering public life. So simply encouraging women to enter politics, on any level, not just on the state level, is extremely important.
It is very creditable when a woman gets into politics. She does this at the expense of responsibilities toward her home and family and should be lauded for this.
We are bringing women into politics to change the nature of politics, to change the vision, to change the institutions. Women are not wedded to the policies of the past. We didn't craft them. They didn't let us.
Politics is a very male-dominated, male-driven profession. I was not just a woman but a young woman, and I suppose you end up trying to behave in a way that you think is expected of you.
I really want women to know their power, to value their experience. To understand that nothing has been more wholesome in the political process than the increased involvement of women.
Politics is a potent way to empower women.