More Leadership by Women for a Change!

During the past dozen years at least 20 women around the world have been elected as Presidents, Chancellors, or Prime Ministers of their nations (see below). Will their national and international leadership roles and policies differ in some ways from their "male counterparts"? E.g., will they be less inclined to initiate/accept warfare, oppress citizenry, choose to focus on different problems? Will they be more humane? Women have the capacity to feel anger, hate, fear, or empathy, as do men; but how would they differ? Given their contrasting biological functions, family roles, educations, and so on, several aspects may create contrasting responses.

1. Women bear, give birth, nurse and provide the major nurturing of babies and children in their younger years. Women generally, single or married, may identify with, exhibit greater sympathy for children (their own and those around the world) more so than many men may experience. Leading one's nation will be influenced by the humaneness, sensitivity, empathy, experience, especially for those less privileged in their societies.

2. Women generally are physically less powerful than men in size, weight, height, speed, musculature. Thus in man-woman relationships girls learn from their mothers and other women more effective behaviors than physical force to achieve their own objectives, even partially. However, in a more equalitarian society, boys and girls should be reared to employ non-violent techniques -- communication, compromise, "conflict resolution methods." Such skills are needed by persons in high positions of leadership especially.

3. Research has revealed that women in our society want to see their academic and professional training, more so than men, connected to aiding poeple. Men far outnumber women in the USA in science, technology, engineering, math, medicine, environmental studies, social sciences, professional education. Thus, women leading a nation, or for those in our society eager to aid other populations, those choices prepare them for dealing with basic human needs, at home or abroad. (E.g., Doctors without Borders, Madre, Earth Justice).

4. A current major national and international concern with serious consequences for young women, is the "trafficking", often even "enslavement", of them. (The fall 2011 issue of the WILPF Peace and Freedom, pp. 17-20, elaborates what can only be briefly included here.) Making women into international "commodities", close to slavery often, presents serious problems, as does domestic prostitution in many nations. How would women and men officials deal with these highly significant, generally illegal, abuses of women? How high on their agendas? What progress to be instituted?

5. Though women may now more often secure leadership roles in governments, their influence on law-making and court decisions depend also on the ratio of men to women in powerful positions. E.g., after its tragic "tribal war", Rwanda's new government regulations stipulate a quota for women in its legislative body. With 40 they rank first proportionally followed by the Scandinavian countries. (The USA is "way down" the roster.) Legislatures are apt to be somewhat different when men-women proportions change, and for civic peace and effective governing, they need each other.

6. There is an increasing belief among American scholars, peace advocates, and officials that our "foreign aid" to other countries has been too often directed to the male leaders, who frequently turned out to be corrupt. Thus, the diverse needs of the common folk were met minimally, if at all. The endeavors are increasingly to work with the women in communities.

List of women in high leadership roles in recent years (extensive but not exhaustive), compiled by Don Irish, with help from Michael K. O'Sullivan and Siobhan DiZio, Hamline University:

Argentina: Christina Fernandez de Kirchner, President, 2007. Nilda Garre, Ambassador to Venezuela, first woman Defense Minister, 2005. First Latin American woman re-elected President, October 2011.

Australia: Julia Gillard, first woman Prime Minister, 2010.

Bahrain: Sheikiha Haya Rashad Al Khalifa, President, U.N. General Assembly, June 9, 2006.

Brasil: Dilma Van Rousseif, President, 2011.

Chile: Michelle Bachelet, President, 2006 (fourth Latin American woman to be elected President).

Costa Rica: Laura Chinchilla Miranda, President, May 8, 2010.

Denmark: Helle Thorning Schmidt, 2011.

France: Christine Lagarde, first woman Director, International Monetary Fund, 2011.

Germany: Angela Merkel, Chancellor, since October 22, 2005.

Ghana: Joyce Bamford-Addo, first woman speaker of Parliament, January 7, 2009.

Greece: Dora Lakoyannis, Ahens mayor, then first woman Foreign Minister

Guyana: Janet Jagan, elected President, 1997; resigned due to ill health two years later.

Iceland: Jonanne Siguroardottir, 2009.

Indonesia: Megawati Sukarnoputri, President, 2001.

Iran: Shirin Ebadi, First Iranian, First Muslim, Nobel Peace Prize, 2003.

Ireland: Mary Robinson, President, 1990-1997, then U.N. Human Rights Role.

Jamaica: Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister, 2006.

Kuwait: Massouma al Mubarak, first woman Cabinet Member, Minister of Planning and Administration Development, 2005.

Liberia: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President 2006, First African woman "Head of State," one month after women given right to vote. 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

Lithuania: Dalia Grybauskaite, President, 2009.

Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi, preeminent leader in Burma movement for recovery of democracy. Nobel Peace Prize. Years spent in "house arrest."

New Zealand: Helen Clark, Prime Minister, 1999.

Pakistan: Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister, 1988-1990; 1993-1996. Was assassinated, 2007.

Phillipines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President, 2001.

Slovakia: Iveta Radicova, Prime Minister.

Thailand: Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister, 2011.

Ukraine: Yulla Tymoshenko, Prime Minister, January-September, 2005; December 2007-2010. Imprisoned by male competitor (contended to be "political" reasons -- U.N. critique), October 2011.

Two of the women have disappointed me recently. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has granted permission for USA military bases (Liberia) when till then none of the African nations were willing; and the USA African command was staioned in Europe. And Julia Gillard has agreed for USA Marines to have military presence in Australia. Both are aiding the imperial USA foreign policies.