Women and Political Leadership
For centuries, women’s political wings were clipped as the public sphere was deemed appropriate only for men. The occasional queen or woman warrior did emerge, but this was the exception. The rule was that men were to rule.
In the late 20th century this slowly began to change. In both the developed and developing worlds, women began to head governments. From Gro Harlem Brundtland in Norway (who served three terms as prime minister, in 1981, 1986, and 1990), to Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, from Golda Meir in Israel, to Angel Merkel in Germany, from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, to Margaret Thatcher in the UK, the sight of a woman as head of government became more common and less surprising.
For centuries, women’s political wings were clipped as the public sphere was deemed appropriate only for men. The occasional queen or woman warrior did emerge, but this was the exception. The rule was that men were to rule.
In the late 20th century this slowly began to change. In both the developed and developing worlds, women began to head governments. From Gro Harlem Brundtland in Norway (who served three terms as prime minister, in 1981, 1986, and 1990), to Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, from Golda Meir in Israel, to Angel Merkel in Germany, from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, to Margaret Thatcher in the UK, the sight of a woman as head of government became more common and less surprising.