Reminds med that the Equal Pay Legislation signed by Obama was introduced in Senate by a woman: Senator H. Clinton
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7859373.stm>
The almost equal gender balance of AMs in the Welsh assembly has transformed how politics in Wales is conducted, according to a new report.
The study showed there were more female voices at the assembly than at Westminster and in many Welsh councils.
Political debates were more consensual than adversarial as a result and had 'non-traditional' topics on the agenda such as domestic violence.
Since May 2007, 47% of AMs are women. At Westminster 19.5% of MPs are women.
In the first Welsh assembly, elected in 1999, 40% of the seats were held by women. In 2003, this rose to 50%.
The report's lead researcher Professor Nickie Charles from the University of Warwick's department of sociology said this gender balance had an effect on the style of interactions between politicians, both cross-party and within party.
We have fierce disagreement in group meetings but it is conducted with the complete absence of chest thumping and table thumping
Anonymous male Labour AM
"According to many AMs, women tend to do politics differently from men and this is often described as being more consensual than adversarial," she said.
"The assembly is a new political institution associated with a consensual political style, an inclusive politics, and working arrangements which recognise the caring responsibilities of those working within it."
The AMs interviewed as part of the research agreed that women had an impact on the type of policy issues that were debated.
More emphasis was given to what one AM referred to as "non-traditional areas".
They said: "Domestic violence is on the agenda, equal pay is on the agenda and all those kinds of really important issues that probably wouldn't be there if there wasn't such a high number of women."
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