Opinion Queen bee syndrome

An American woman’s magazine did a pictorial cover story when Indira Gandhi first came to power in January 1966,taking a full page advertisement in The New York Times. She appeared displeased,“I do not regard myself as a woman. I am a person with a job to do.” Her idea of Indian women’s emancipation was,as per Eve’s Weekly magazine,“An honourable status in life. She should be able to exert her influence for the good and benefit of the community.” Isn’t this a statement with no actionable point?

Both the Indian and British PMs were separately nicknamed “Iron Lady” for successfully taking tough decisions. Their leadership undoubtedly deserves a cheer; it’s aspirational for women across the world. Mrs Gandhi abetted Pakistan’s break-up,nationalised banks,donned dictatorial robes by declaring Emergency,and then staged a spectacular comeback. No Indian leader since has connected so effortlessly with people. Mrs Thatcher broke the UK’s trade union hegemony,thawed the USA-USSR Cold War,denationalised industries,fought and won a war faraway in Falkland Islands to re-establish Britain’s supremacy as a world power. Unlike Mrs Gandhi who entered politics in a dynastic relay race,Margaret Thatcher struggled to win in a male preserve,believing she “owed nothing to women’s lib”. However,I cannot admire some of her brusque characteristics such as dubbing Nelson Mandela and African National Congress as “terrorists” in their 1980s fight against Apartheid.

Of 196 countries today,only 15 have woman heads of nation. They are Bangladesh,Germany,Liberia,Argentina,Iceland,Costa Rica,Trinidad & Tobago,Australia,Brazil,Thailand,Denmark,Jamaica,Malawi,South Korea and Slovenia. Historically,Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the world’s first woman PM in 1960 when her husband was assassinated. Israel’s Golda Meir,the world’s third woman PM,was chosen to avoid a power struggle between two men when PM Levi Eshkol died. She didn’t identify with women either,nor helped in their development. She was referred to as “queen bee” for pulling up the ladder after climbing to the top.

Rarely have women wielding political power used their high political office to advance women’s causes. Is it because they’ve been too busy fighting,surviving and retaining positions in male-dominated societies? Or were they reluctant to open the “woman card” for fear of displaying a hint of weakness and emotion?

Iceland PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is a clear exception of not shying away from promoting women. Openly declaring she’s lesbian,she’s made her 320,000-population country a world leader of feminism. Almost 50 per cent Parliamentarians are women. Feminism essentially is consciously creating a social order that’s free of inequality,domination and injustice that characterise our contemporary world. Iceland,fourth after Norway,Finland and Sweden in the international gender gap index,has passed a law to ban the sex industry and criminalise purchase of sex. There’re no strip clubs or brothels; there are strong campaigns against rape and domestic violence.

It’s a unique contradiction in women’s history that a woman who’s acquired a commanding position can be both inspiring and disappointing; a source of pride for other women yet of deep frustration for feminists trying to advance gender equality. Having suffered from centuries of patriarchy,women’s condition is an offshoot of insecurity. Unfortunately,patriarchy shows no sign of getting wiped out in a hurry,so women leaders always feel compelled to act like men. Women’s survival as leaders can only be propped up by chauvinistic male society when defeated by a strong personality. So women leaders become like all-pervasive queen bees who never uplift other women.

Shombit is an international consultant to top management on differentiating business strategy with execution excellence (www.shiningconsulting.com)