Sexism, Politics and Reporting: How do you solve a problem like Theresa?

I was rather excited when barely any mention was made about gender as May took the Prime Ministerial crown. To me, it signalled an era where being a female and in power just wasn’t that noteworthy – she had far more important things to address than having a vagina.

Since then, I’ve heard the inevitable odd comment about how we’re at the forefront of women’s rights because look, our PM is female! The second in fact. We’ve got no gender inequality here! I’m sure Americans are pleased as punch to know, by that rote, racism is over. Thank God Obama’s election drew a line under that mess…

Unsurprisingly, my excitement was preemptive. Perhaps the Brexit issue was far more important than May’s gender for the time being, but now not so much. Since she came into power, May’s most important decisions apparently involve her wardrobe. I can count on one hand the number of times Blair, Cameron and Brown had their fashion choices splashed across the headlines. May’s been in power less than a year and I’ve heard stories ranging from the symbolism of Westwood suits to the suitability of leather trousers.

Fuck. Off.

I’d apologise for such language, but it’s actually appropriate. A quick Google image search for Theresa May shows the related searches to be thus: fashion, weight loss, shoes. She’s the leader of one of the most influential countries on earth, and our main interest is her look. Similar searches for Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage presented with either events in their lives or family members. The closest to appearance was a search for Farage ‘smiling’, which seems justified to me. Sometimes you do want evidence he’s actually human.

How is this still a thing? How can the same newspapers that campaign about Brexit apathy, single market fall out and governmental decisions also treat our leader like a prize poodle with a new perm? She’s not arm candy, she’s not a runway model, she’s a bloody Prime Minister. How she looks should only be of import if it affects our standing. If she turns up to a World Summit in a KKK gown, then sure, we have issues. Report it, spread it, I won’t object. But we do her 30 years service an utter disservice when we disseminate her down into a one-woman fashion show.

She’s of course not the only female cabinet member to experience this. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, recently visited Paris for immigration talks with French Ministers. It comes as no surprise that it was reported on more like a gossip magazine than a global event. This wasn’t even just the tabloids, but publications like The Times. No doubt she was over there doing something important and foreign, but she had scuffed shoes. Like she’d worn them before… I don’t know about you, but one has to question her qualifications in light of her lack of boot polish.

There are a lot of lessons to learn from Trump’s election, like when the world might end. But one is that you can look like loft insulation and still get votes. His appearance didn’t affect his standing (though to be fair neither did his words or policies), but I can’t see a female being able to say the same. The most important part of her day is apparently the time between waking up and leaving the house. After all, how the public see’s her appearance as proof of professional abilities. Who care’s about her CV when that skirt seems a little short?

So if someone asks you why we marched for equality in London, get them to google image Theresa May. The most powerful woman in our country, whose patent shoes get more headlines than her policies.

The post Sexism, Politics and Reporting: How do you solve a problem like Theresa? appeared first on Felix Magazine.

Sexism, Politics and Reporting: How do you solve a problem like Theresa? posted first on http://www.felixmagazine.com/