Women’s organizations of political parties: A possibility or a threat to inserting feminist knowledge into political decision-making?

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the possibilities of ‘feminist party politics’ for advancing gender issues in mainstream politics. The paper approaches the questions through the current politics of the women’s organisations of mainstream political parties. The key research questions are: What kind of platform are political parties today for feminist or gender specific organizing? What is the status and remit of parties’ women’s organizations in Finland in terms of their level of (i) institutionalization, (ii) powers, (iii) accountability? How to study the interplay between formal vs. informal institutions as well as discourses about the women’s organisations that shape the possibilities to do women-specific or feminist politics? Sarah Childs and Miki Kittilsson note the surprising lack of in-depth research into women’s organisations internationally (see Childs and Kittilsson 2016). My paper undertakes such a task in relation to Finland. First, the aim is to provide empirical data and qualitative analysis about women’s organisations of the six biggest parties in the country (Centre Party, The Finns, Green Party, Left Alliance, National Coalition Party, SDP). The analysis is based on an extensive interview material with politicians and party workers in these parties. Second, the objective is to re-evaluate and develop feminist theories about political action and debates surrounding these women’s sections. I suggest that previous frameworks are usefully developed by focusing not only on formal institutions but also on informal institutions and the discursive context. This sheds light on the contradictions and challenges faced by the women’s organisations in contemporary politics.