“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.”
ーMichelle Obama (Obama, “Leadership.”)
Women today are underrepresented in positions of political leadership. While perhaps they enjoy more rights than ever before, there still exists a “glass ceiling” in many areas of our society. Women earn less than their male counterparts in general and the United States has yet to swear in a female president. Why is progress so slow on the gender front in a society that prides itself on equality? Though it was less than 100 years since women got the right to vote, it is time for the feminine voice to not only be heard, but to take a lead politically.
Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, once stated, “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding how to run a country.” Having such a powerful quote from such an influential woman really makes one think about the truth behind it. What Thatcher was referring is that the emotional empathy and multitasking skills necessary to keep a household functioning peacefully may be the same kinds of intuitive talents necessary to create a cooperative and efficiently functioning government. Women consist of over 50 percent of the world population. In a representative government like the United States, women should also represent at least 50 percent of the leadership.
In a world, country, and government that is currently so polarized, the ability to share and express emotions, not just positions and opinions can be constructive and restorative. Emotions are something from which human beings, both men and women, cannot escape. Frequently men have criticized women for being “too emotional” or exhibiting their emotions. “Men are taught to be emotionless except for anger.” That they should be “in charge and women [should] not.” That “men are superior and women are inferior.” That men are strong and women are weak” (Porter, A call to men). Such premise cannot help but impact the decisions made by men in powerful political positions and such premise cannot equitably serve the 50 percent of the population underrepresented in government. How can a man who has such a little opinion of women decide what’s best for them?
The ability to identify and rationally share emotion enhances trust and facilitates working relationships. Society’s future stability depends on honest, expression of and empathy for emotions on all sides of a political issue. When emotion is shared rationally it builds trust; something seriously lacking on the current political scene. When someone shares their emotions they release stress which reduces tension and helps to clarify communication. (Sherpa, “Advantages & Disadvantages of Expressing Feelings.”). Recent studies have found that when emotions are shared people tend to be less insecure (Pennebaker, “Expressing Feelings.”). The less insecure someone is the more likely they are to be more confident and stand up for that what they believe. Also, according to this study, secure, confident leaders tend to listen to multiple sides of an issue rather than stubbornly defending their own position. In a political climate that is so polarized, empathetical listening and sharing emotions could lead to better decisions and less party-line debacles. Even the oft-criticized feminine tears can effective convey pain and misery impacting others (Ensler, “Embrace your inner girl.”). When people see others cry they experience empathy. Being open with one’s own emotions and open to understanding the emotions of others is a previously criticized feminine trait that could greatly enhance the functioning of government and world. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said,“To handle others, use your head; to handle others, use your heart”(“46 Leadership Quotes for Women.”).
Furthermore, to communicate both emotion and ideas, verbal intelligence fosters clear communication. Women clearly have an evolutionary advantage by being more articulate, or in other words, women have more words and phrases and generally a richer vocabulary. “Richer vocabulary can help humans communicate more efficiently.” Studies have shown that a protein called FOXP2, which is linked to verbal communication, is about 30 percent higher in girls than in boys of a similar age (“Understanding Gender Differences”).
Leaders need to learn to repair, rebuild and restore relationships in a global society. This requires emotional work. After September 11th, 2001 one of the many victim’s mothers wanted closure for her son’s tragic death. Another mother, a mother of one of the people accused of participating in the attacks wanted to personally apologize for the pain her son had put on these families. She wanted to meet as many of them as possible and was able to meet the mother mentioned before. They were the only two mothers in the room with many other people. They were able to hear each other’s stories and the struggles they have shared. The victim’s mother was able to forgive this woman because she also was a grieving and heartbroken mother. They have now been able to form a lifelong bond and even an unbreakable friendship from this horrible tragedy. Women/mothers can learn to forgive (El-Wafi, “The mothers who found forgiveness, friendship.”). Another girl was raped and impregnated by her rapist and when asked if she loved her baby she responded with, “Yes I love my baby. How could I not love my baby? It’s my baby and it’s full of love”(Ensler, “Embrace your inner girl.”). This girl was nothing more than a young innocent teenager. She had been through so much heartache and misery, but still loved her child. Women/mothers can learn to forgive. Leaders need to learn how to forgive, rebuild and restore society not just their own agendas.
While growing up and going to school imagine who the most successful people were. They were girls. Young girls are able to and succeed in “outperform[ing] boys in every level from elementary school to graduate school” (Zimbardo, “The demise of guys?”). School is set up perfectly for females to excel. Due to video games and online videos constantly streaming; boys’ brains are being rewired to want constant change in arousal, intimacy and entertainment. “Boys are [also] five times more likely to have Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” This causes them to not be able to perform as well as their female peers because of the routine classes. Teenage boys are also more than 30 percent more likely to dropout of school in their high school careers (Zimbardo, “The demise of guys?”). In surveys, teenage boys struggled more in school and enjoyed it less. Consequently, male political leaders tend to put less emphasis and directed funding into their countries educational systems. Often young girls take leadership roles in their schools. Why should they not assume leadership roles in adult society?
After high school comes college, and women stay ahead of men here as well. Women in college/universities are more likely to finish college and receive a degree.“For every two men that get a college degree, three women will do the same” (Rosin,“New data on the rise of women”). Women have a higher work ethic than men when it comes to bettering their own and the education of others. College degrees are also being awarded to women faster than men (Rosin). Women are able to complete rigorous classes at a faster rate and higher quantity than male students. Why wouldn’t a nation be better served with these exhibited female qualities? Imagine that type of work ethic and drive at the national and global level. Issues inside outside the country would be resolved much more efficiently. Greatly improving our unity as a country and around the world.
The number of women in the workplace has greatly increased during the last sixty years. Women are also entering higher level jobs requiring higher education. Yet, their pay is still not equal to that of men’s salaries in similar positions. The majority of the workforce at the moment is women and that will only grow to become more and more true. Currently, over 50 percent of middle managers are women. If women can manage businesses, why not governments and countries? Women are also much better at communication and creative based careers compared to men competing for the same jobs. One of the key responsibilities of being a community leader is the ability to talk with the citizens and find new creative ideas to solve problems as efficiently as possible. Also to have the most efficient economy people need to be intelligent. They need the ability to sit and focus, communicate, and flow well with others (Rosin, “New data on the rise of women.”). Data shows that working mothers are also extremely powerful both at home and the workplace. When a man and woman both work and raise a child together, women handle their jobs, two times the amount of housework and three times the amount of childcare compared to the man (Sandberg, “Why we have too few women leaders.”). Women also work harder in the workplace when they have a child at home. They have to support themselves and be the best mother that they can be for their offspring. Women can be breadwinners, caregivers, or any combination of the two. Mothers base their choices on love and responsibly (Slaughter,“Can we all ‘have it all’?”). Now imagine that on a larger scale. A country run by women that will be the best they can be and work the hardest they possibly can to better everyone.
Females that have held leadership roles and have been greatly successful tend to be very influential as well. They have broken records, redefined social and cultural expectations and standards and set examples that have empowered young women all over the world. For example, four years after Montana’s Jeannette Rankin was elected to the House of Representative in 1916, women won the right to vote in the United States with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Two years later Rebecca Felton of Georgia became the first woman United States senator. Still, there are only 105 women holding seats in the United States Congress. Sadly, this is only 19.6 percent of the 535 members of Congress (“Women in the U.S. Congress 2017). If women represent over 50 percent of the population of the United States, they should reflect a similar percentage of leadership positions.
One of the most influential female political leaders in America recently has been Hillary Clinton. Her role as First Lady allowed her to influence multiple areas of American government. She was a United States Senator, Secretary of State and presidential candidate. While her husband was in office, Hillary Clinton was a strong proponent of and helped pave the way for the Affordable Care Act. She worked diligently to reduce domestic violence by supporting the Violence Against Women Act. As Senator, she helped forward the Pediatric Research Equity Act, that required drug companies to research how their medications might affect children. She championed the effort full military health benefits for National Guard members (Amadeo, “What Has Hillary Done?”). As a presidential candidate, she proved to every woman in the country that there is a chance for a woman to be a serious contender for the United States Presidency. In fact, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election. She was able to get further than any woman ever has before and that is truly inspiring. Her example of leadership as a woman is very empowering for many women considering leadership roles in the United States.
The influence of women in politics has proven beneficial globally as well. Helle Thorning-Schmidt the former Prime Minister of Denmark has helped her country and millions of people. Before her time as Prime Minister, she lead the democratic party and was a part of the European Parliament. During her time as Prime Minister, she successfully guided Denmark through a global financial crisis. This wife and a mother of two now runs a company called Save the Children that reaches 55 million children in 120 countries. Her company helps children get an education, stay out of hunger, and provides emotional support after disasters. Through Save the Children, she has helped to cut in half the number of childhood deaths annually (“Our CEO, Helle Thorning-Schmidt.”). She has been able to make a substantial difference as a woman in government and society in general.
Another country that elected a female as its head of government is Argentina. In 2007, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was elected president. She was a lawyer and the first female Argentine president. Kirchner was able to defeat the man running against her by a full 26 percent. She was successful in furthering several social programs and despite a cancer scare during her presidency she unfalteringly executed her office to the end of her term. While drawn into many controversies, she was able to stay strong and prove, and remain a capable leader. Kirchner was able to prove to the young girls of her country that a woman can pursue whatever professional goal they desire including being elected the leader of their country.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first woman as elected head of government in an African nation. She is the current president of Liberia as has been since 2006. As a child, she said she got into fights just to make her feel and look strong. Little did she know that she would be one of the most powerful women on the African continent. Before she had even reached the age of 25, she had already given birth to four boys and traveled to the United States where she earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard. Under her leadership, there has been peace in Liberia for twelve years. Sirleaf worked to improve the financial condition of her country. She even managed to receive $4.6 billion worth of debt relief for the Liberian people and their country in 2010. Sirleaf tackled some of her country’s most difficult issues. With honesty and empathy, she confronted the emotional issue of childhood rape (Hirsch, “Can Ellen Johnson Sirleaf save Liberia?”). Sirleaf has managed to positively impact change for the previously underserved women on the African continent. She has been inspirational to many African women and demonstrated to women all over the globe what a confident, competent women in office can do.
Another example of powerful female leadership is Elizabeth II, Queen of England. She has ruled longer than any other British monarch in history, over sixty years. The Queen is known for her strong sense of duty and her devotion to her country. She takes pride in her charity work and public service. Besides running the country, the extended royal family benefits from her attention to her four children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.
Women have come a long way in careers and have a high chance of being successful in leadership positions if given the chance. The world would benefit greatly in having the emotion, empathy, communication skills, work ethic and caring capabilities that women in leadership roles can bring. Why should women not equally share in the roles, rights, and responsibilities necessary to govern the world in which they live?
In a December 23rd editorial in the Washington Tribune, the writer, Chris Toews said, “It has been widely reported that the last year has seen a huge increase in the number of women running for election and being elected to political offices. In my view, this is healthy because I think that women would do a better job of setting priorities than current senators and representatives we have in Congress. They would prioritize educating our children, providing access to medical care, taking care of the disabled and the elderly, and creating a future for the next generation. Most of them would likely oppose a tax bill that attacks education, reduces access to medical care and hands our children a $1.5 trillion debt to provide tax relief for the top 1 percent. Do we need women in Congress? Absolutely, and the sooner they get there the better.” (Towes, “Women in Congress”). Not only do we need more women in Congress, Mr. Toews, we need more women as leaders locally, nationally and internationally, and this writer intends to become one!
