A World Full of Women Leaders
by Shannon Geis
The end of July 2007 was a significant time for women all over the world. The country of Turkey doubled the number of women in its parliament. The election of 50 women to the Turkish parliament shows change in a country that still allows the honor killing of women who have disgraced their families. The traditionally conservative nation has always had an under-representation of women in government despite granting women's suffrage long before some European nations. Although the number of women in parliament has doubled, it is still far from representative of the female population. Significant policy changes are not expected. But for women's activists everywhere this is an important start.
Days after the Turkish elections, another sign of women's progress took place. A woman named Pratibha Patil was sworn into the Indian Presidency. Although there was controversy surrounding her candidacy, the event proved to be uplifting for a country where women are far from being equal to men. However, Patil's presidency is only one of many steps that India's women need to take. Recently several women in Indian government positions were passed over for promotions; the appointments were given to less qualified men.
But these are just two of many situations where women have taken high leadership roles in government. In fact, the last few years have yielded great strides for women internationally, though the conditions are far from perfect. Many leading countries have elected female heads of state or have had a female frontrunner in a top election. The current German Chancellor and rotating head of the European Union, Angela Merkel, took the position in 2005; Segolene Royale ran a tough race against Nicholas Sarkozy in the French presidential elections this year; and Hillary Clinton has been holding on tightly to the lead for the Democratic party nominations in the United States. The efforts made by women to become leading voices in the world are slowly paying off and it could have a lasting affect on our world.
Are the effects of having female leadership a good thing for our world? In most Western countries, women's rights and equal rights among the sexes are highly discussed issues. But does giving a woman leadership automatically solve all the problems? There are some who would say so. There are many books on the market explaining why women are much better leaders than men. According to a book called "Why the Best Man for the Job is a Woman" by Esther Wachs Book, a woman's power to lead is in her nurturing nature.
But women can abuse the powers tied to being a leader just as well as men can. Indira Gandhi's rule as the Prime Minister of India in the 1970's and 80's was authoritarian. She used her parliamentary majority to strip power from the states. And do not forget some of the ruthless queens that have ruled Great Britain and other European countries. Perhaps the reason why women dictators are not talked about is only because women have not been allowed to take leadership roles due to tradition.
It is also possible that the struggle to be recognized as equal to men has created a situation where women must be tougher and more skilled to become leaders. The glass ceiling, as it is commonly known, may be creating women who work harder and become more skilled in order to beat their male competition. If this is the case, then perhaps the dozen women - or thereabouts - who are leading nations today are most likely the best and most qualified for the job.
The only way for us to really see the effects of women in government leadership is to watch these current leaders closely. Whether the increase will be good or bad for the world in general is yet to be seen.
Sources:
1. Books, Esther Wachs. "Why the Best Man for the Job is a Woman." Harper Collins, 2000.
2. Esmin, Yasemin Sim. "Women Stronger in the Turkish Parliament." Turkish Daily News. July 24, 2007.
3. Hughes, John. "Imagining the World with More Female Heads of State." Christian Science Monitor. May 2, 2007.
4. Pasricha, Anjana. "Indian Government Faces Allegation of Gender Bias." Voices of America. July 29, 2007.
5. Tremmel, Pat. "Women Effective Leaders for Today’s World." Northwestern News. August 4, 2003.
