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The increase in the number of women MPs in many countries in recent years suggests that it is easier for women to enter politics nowadays than used to be the case. However, this does not mean that it is a level-playing field once they get there. Women still have to contend with prejudice and discrimination, antiquated practices, an alien culture, and a routine and timetable far more suited to male lifestyles. This article focuses on the additional challenges faced by women who combine a political career with motherhood. A big question it seeks to answer is whether or not it is easier for women to break through the political ‘glass ceiling’ and compete with men so long as they can act like men, for example staying late, and working weekends. The article examines the experiences of women MPs in two countries, namely the UK and Germany, looking at both the national and sub-national levels. It draws on information collected from female parliamentarians via face-to-face interviews and written questionnaires. The evidence suggests that it is easier for women to break through the political ‘glass ceiling’ if they can fit into the existing male-dominated parliamentary culture. Thus, many female MPs with family responsibilities face additional problems on top of those faced by women generally in the political workplace. This suggests that on their own, measures such as quotas are not sufficient to enable female politicians to ‘have it all’ as their male counterparts typically can. Other changes to parliamentary practices will be necessary to make politics a career that is genuinely open to all. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Today the proportion of German politicians who are female is at an all time high. This has largely been achieved via quotas and most of the main parties now operate some kind of quota system. But have quantitative improvements in female representation in been matched by qualitative improvements? This article seeks to answer this question by looking not only at the number of women in parliaments and other collective bodies, but also in the highest echelons of power. It outlines each party's policies regarding the promotion of women and the factors which enhance or hamper their impact. A brief comparison of female political representation in eastern and western Germany is also provided. The author argues that measures such as quotas have increased the number of female German politicians but still do not guarantee them equal access to positions of real power. Furthermore, the incorporation of pro-equality principles into party statutes has not automatically led to their assimilation into party cultures, especially in the case of well-established parties which only recently addressed the gender imbalance in their ranks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlines the background to the Berlin election of 2001 and examines the campaigns of all the main political parties in Germany. Analyses of the results of the election; Process that finally resulted in the formation of a Red-Red coalition government; Consideration of the significance of the election for Berlin and for German politics as a whole.

Objective: Acute agitation in pediatrics is commonly encountered in hospital settings, can contribute to significant physical and psychological distress, and management is highly varied in practice. As such, the development of a standardized pharmacologic guideline is paramount. We aimed to develop a novel clinical pathway (CP) for management of acute agitation for all hospitalized pediatric patients in Canada. Methods: Healthcare professionals in Canada with expertise in treating and managing pediatric agitation formed a working group and developed a CP through conducting a literature review, engaging key partners, and obtaining interdisciplinary consensus (iterative real-time discussions with content experts). Once developed, the preliminary CP was presented to additional internal and external partners via multiple grand rounds and a webinar; feedback from participants guided final CP revisions. Results: The working group created a pediatric inpatient CP to guide pharmacologic management of agitation and serve as an easy-to-use clinical and educational resource with three complementary sections including: 1) a treatment algorithm, 2) a quick reference medication chart, and 3) two supporting documents, which provide a general overview of non-pharmacologic strategies prior to CP implementation and an illustrative scenario to accompany the medication chart to ensure effective utilization. Conclusions: This is the first CP to standardize pharmacological treatment and management of acute agitation in children in inpatient settings in Canada. Although further research is warranted to assess implementation and support process improvement, the CP can be adapted by individual institutions to assist in prompt pharmacological management of pediatric agitation to potentially improve outcomes for patients, families, and healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]