Female Leaders––What Separates Them From Their Male Counterparts, Or Not by Nuzhat Shahzadi

We introduced a diverse world-view to Izara (granddaughter) from the day she occupied her cradle and our hearts. We began early––in her infancy she grasped at tiny shreds of compelling reality with a punch of fun-mixed-joy through stories and songs and poems and toys . . . it was the covid-era, we were always home. We had ample time to present her with huddles of options focused on culture, race, faith, compassion, decency, confidence, integrity (and whatnot!!) as she grew by micro-inches each moment, each day . . . we didn't forget important issues like health, climate, the earth . . . (we were/are hopeless, hapless romantics . . .)

Among many other interesting books, we gave her a copy of "Awesome Women" ––a book about 23, fearless women who challenged destiny and created history with their incredible life-journeys.

It has a page on Queen Elizabeth II––the undefeatable presence in our lives, almost. My dad was born in 1930 and passed away in 2016 while the monarch was still ruling . . . amazing, right?

"Awesome Women" further introduces Malala, Emmeline Pankhurst, Dorothy Hodgkin, Harriet Tubman, Wu Zetian, Beyonce, Oprah, RBG––a Pandora's box of badass iconic women from different eras who transformed the impossible into possible. Izara is very curious about why a policeman is barricading a woman (Emmeline Pankhurst)'s path as portrayed in the book. I explained the battle of American women for their right to vote . . . we go back to this page very often . . . to explain the importance of voting for women.

And she adores Iris Apeel––

"This is you, Bibijaan! Soft and fluffy hair . . ." Izara likes the colors I wear

 

Women have ventured into politics as well . . . Khertek Anchima-Toka (1940-1944): Chairwoman of Little Khural, was the first head of State of the Tuvan peoples' Republic.

I remember growing up with the stories of Sirimavo Bandaranayke (Prime Minister), Ceylone/Sri Lanka. I was too young during her first ascension to power (1960-1965) but was critical about her flawed policies from 1970-1997 and 1994-2000, especially her Sinhalese nationalistic anti-Tamil position and promotion of the Citizenship ACT of 1948 that made the estate Tamils stateless.

I can't deny how Indira Gandhi, the 3rd Prime Minister of India (1966-1977; 1980-1984) influenced my adolescent years–– later in adulthood I got a clear perspective of her Machiavellian-myopic stand towards her own electorates and her neighboring countries. Her uncompromising political stance was solely focused on centralization of power of the executive branch of her government. She declared a State of emergency from 1975-1977––all basic civil rights were suspended. Over 100,000 political opponents, dissenters and journalists were jailed. Under the leadership of her son, Sanjay Gandhi, began a "gruesome campaign" of sterilizing low-income men. "There were reports of police cordoning off villages and virtually dragging the men to surgery."––BBC news. "An astonishing 6.2 million Indian men were sterilised in just a year, which was '15 times the number of people sterilised by the Nazis,' according to science journalist Mara Hvistendahl."

To crush the Sikh Separatist movement, she ordered a military operation at the sacred Golden Temple that killed hundreds of Sikhs. She was assassinated in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards.

Benazir Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan twice: 1988-1990 and 1993-1996––the first elected woman to head a Muslim-majority country. To my memory she was always pregnant during her tenure (two children born between 1988-1990, one in 1993). Bhutto had a constant uphill battle with conservative and Islamist forces and faced strong opposition when she enacted political and social reforms. She was blamed for Pakistan's political mishaps, was accused of nepotism, corruption and being politically inexperienced. She was assassinated in 2007.

Her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the key mastermind of the genocide in Bangladesh (former East Pakistan).

Mary Robinson (1990-1997) was the seventh president of Ireland. She was a transformative leader––decriminalized homosexuality, legalized contraception and divorce, enabled women to sit as jurors and secured the right to legal aid in civil-legal cases. As a president she was extremely popular (about 93% approval rate).

She Became the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1997–– strengthened human rights monitoring in conflict situations in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. I was proud of her record and followed her news.

I was intrigued by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 24th President of Liberia (2006-2018). A Harvard graduate, committed to her Nation's cause, and armed with political wizardry-wisdom, Sirleaf brought stability to Liberia following a decade long civil war. She promoted freedom, peace, justice, women's empowerment and democratic rule and steered Liberia towards achieving economic, social and political change.

Sirleaf won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 in recognition for her efforts to bring women as key actors into peacekeeping processes. She received several awards for her leadership and was elected as the first woman to be the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States.

Jacinda Ardern, confident, authentic, transparent, compassionate––was the former Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-2023)––a champion of hope, decency, empathy. " . . . Ardern has often been seen as the antidote, described by Vogue as "the anti-Trump," offering both inspiration and solace to many that contemporary leadership could indeed reflect and evoke the better angels of our nature."

Ardern will be remembered for her efficient-empathetic handling of the Christchurch terror attack, volcanic explosion at Whakaari White Island and Covid 19.

And Finally, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh (1996-2001;2009-2024) ––ousted from the country after two decades of autocratic rule filled with corruption, nepotism, and suppressing and killing dissenters. She escaped to India on 5 august, 2024 after a mass movement against her administration led by students. She ordered the killings of hundreds of students.

Are female heads of states/PMs better than their male counterparts? Can women prove to be efficient, kinder, more common-sense-wise? Is this even possible? . . . May be . . .some were good ones . . .

I would have liked to write about Angela Merkel (Germany), Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica), Julia Gillard (Australia), Hilda Heine (Marshall Islands) and of course Kamala Harris . . . Can she change America? The world? Craft a unique page in history??

It's time.