Women Face Power Barriers Despite Gains, Warns Expert in Andorra Lecture

Spanish journalist and gender equality expert Nuria Varela delivered a lecture on "Women, Power and Politics" on Thursday afternoon in the vestibule of Andorra's General Council. The event, organised by the Network of Women Parliamentarians, drew attention to the challenges women face in decision-making roles and the risks of their departure from such positions.

Opening the session, Deputy Syndic Sandra Codina highlighted Andorra's long history of women's political involvement since gaining voting and candidacy rights. She noted the country's strong female representation in the General Council, government, and communes but urged vigilance amid rising extremist movements and rhetoric questioning gender equality. "Institutions must recognise that women's rights and freedoms are the first to be threatened when social consensuses regress," Codina said. She praised initiatives like the lecture for providing critical tools and reinforcing Andorra's commitment to substantive equality beyond electoral quotas.

Varela, an author and feminist specialist in gender equality and violence against women, challenged narratives of progress. Despite claims that women have reached top roles and transformed politics, data shows fewer women leading countries than three years ago, with many abandoning high-level posts. "Parity was essential to get there, but it's necessary, not sufficient," she said. Power resists sharing, remaining largely in male hands, often disguised superficially—what philosopher Laura Llevadot calls "power dressed in pink, like the devil in Prada."

She outlined barriers including glass ceilings, sticky floors hindering women's advancement, and the "glass cliff," where women are placed in failing organisations during crises, increasing failure risks. Examples include calls for a female UN secretary-general amid the body's struggles or Kamala Harris's US vice-presidential role during a lost election.

Varela called for changing the rules of a power structure built by and for men, which absorbs, exploits, and expels women. She commended Andorra's Network of Women Parliamentarians, uniting female councillors to review laws through a gender lens. Only two women in Andorra's history have opted out, she noted, positioning the country well to drive real change by closing inequality gaps collaboratively.

Currently, just 13% of countries are led by women, taking 180 years to reach this point; UN estimates suggest another 130 years for parity. Varela warned of a backlash, with economic, political, and media power—especially via social networks—embracing toxic masculinity, supremacist discourse, and misogyny that threatens democracy. Yet she remained hopeful, citing feminism's track record of improving societies and insisting women will not relinquish hard-won gains.