A good politician needs to be honest, confident, thoughtful, considerate and compassionate. It has been proven that women tend to honour these qualities much more than men. Margaret Thatcher once said: “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.” It is no doubt that female politicians can make decisions that are beneficial for others, while doing things to improve the country and fulfil the promises they have made.
Women have a special need and ability to create a world without war and, in certain cases, become better politicians than men by making decisions that benefit the people around them. Having more female political leaders makes our world a better place as they possess attitudes and capabilities that enable humanity to overcome major international and national challenges that have thus far been poorly addressed by male dominated political systems. Women leaders may demonstrate a pragmatic approach centred on compromise, thereby resolving these issues and paving the way to both national and international stability.
There are powerful women leaders all over the world serving effectively in their respective fields and most of them are politicians. Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Dilma Rousseff are examples of strong women that have brought about a change in politics. Let’s talk about Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister. When she came to power in 1979 she transformed Britain. Surely, under her rule, the London, UK became one of the world’s most successful centres for banking and business.
Another strong woman was Bhutto who became Pakistan’s prime minister at the age of 35. She was one of the youngest chief executives in the world. She initiated an anti-corruption campaign, brought electricity to the countryside and built schools all over the country. While making hunger, housing and healthcare her top priorities, she looked forward to continuing to modernise Pakistan.
Another example is Angela Merkel who has served as Germany’s chancellor since 2005. Merkel heads Europe’s most vibrant economy and is widely viewed as the de-facto leader of the European Union. She has been one of the most powerful women in the world.
Lastly, women have from early times developed an instinctive way of simplifying and doing things easier. Smart leadership is about understanding some basic principles for processes. By breaking down what we do when we work or collaborate with others into repeatable and recognisable methods and processes.
Women possess qualities that prove beneficial for the world and are mentally strong enough to become reliable leaders and work side-by-side with men. A politician is not only someone on the front line, but also those who work behind the scenes, hence including more women in politics can help in making this world, our world a better place.
- The reader is a student based in Sharjah.
