Women On The World Stage

Note to Creators.com readers: We are offering Benazir Bhutto's complete collection of syndicated columns for the interest of our readers. Please visit our news page for a complete chronological list, or you may browse our archives by month with the drop down menu on this page.

You can find current Creators Syndicate content dealing with Ms. Bhutto's career and assassination by visiting our news item.

It's ironic that though the women's liberation movement took birth in America and Europe, more Asian females have reached the pinnacle of political power.

Some are quick to explain this phenomenon as a result of family tragedies and the clout that the slain male relative wielded. Leaders like India's Indira Gandhi, Sri Lanka's Sirimavo Bandaranaike and me, for instance, have been wives or daughters of prime ministers.

But this argument underestimates the challenges we have faced — and overcome. No doubt, we did have a head start. As relatives of popular leaders, we had name recognition and were seen as symbols of the values that our near and dear ones held. Many saw us as "consensus" figures or rallying points in times of uncertainty.

But there is also no denying that we have succeeded on our own strengths. We had to emerge as leaders in our own right, convincing our supporters and people in our countries of our ability to organize, motivate, manage and lead. We by no means enjoyed a free ride.

Emotion and sentiment are not enough to catapult one to the top of the political ladder. It takes determination, perseverance, hardship and the ability to defy physical threat to do so. It also takes a plan and the ability to make that vision understood by the people.

All this and more is necessary because, as women leaders, we are often faced with vilification and personal attacks during campaigns. And all leaders have to find the reserve of strength that helps them make it through the often torturous days.

For me, I found that strength in the unwillingness to let my countrymen — and my father — down.

My father had always had such confidence in me, and that confidence proved to be a driving force that kept me from wavering, even in the most terrifying moments. Had I wavered, I could not have succeeded.

Yet even when a women has reached the height of her career, she still faces discrimination. Margaret Thatcher, for example, was known as "the only man" in her cabinet. To me, this seems to be both derogatory and sexist, as her gender was irrelevant to her achievements.

A former prime minister of France, Edith Cresson once observed, "What I find amazing is that when a man is designated as prime minister, nobody asks if they think it is a good thing that he is a man."

I can only agree. There is no doubt that Thatcher was an exceptional leader, but so were many men — and it had nothing to do with their sex and everything to do with personal traits and leadership qualities.

Having said this, I do think that there are certain characteristics that women have which make them more effective leaders than men. For instance, they have greater compassion and a sense of nurturing. I may be wrong, but I believe women are not as hard or ruthless as men. And issues concerning mother and child receive greater attention from female leaders.

When asked how men and women leaders differ, Mrs. Bandaranaike (the world's first female prime minister) answered, "Probably women deal with things a little more humanely. Men are tough and impatient."

Certainly, I am very conscious of being a women and of my responsibility to other women, both inside and outside Pakistan. I share a sense of sisterhood with working women I have never met. I imagine them juggling jobs and family and empathize with them.

In Muslim countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, where women were marginalized because of a narrow interpretation of Islam, this understanding is of particular relevance. Women such as myself have a special responsibility to strive to uphold the spirit of Islam as an egalitarian religion, safeguarding the rights of women.

Fortunately, the empowerment of women has become a global priority. As time passes, the effectiveness of women in decision-making and the amount of control we have over our lives and destinies have increased.

I believe that the women leaders of today combine both the toughness of men and the humaneness of women, which is the essence of a balanced individual and an effective leader. It is this balance that is most important — for men and women both.

COPYRIGHT 1996 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.