Wise Words That Prove Yes, a Woman Can Serve as President
At long last, Hillary Clinton has officially announced her candidacy for the 2016 presidential race. Although rumors of her impending declaration swirled in the days leading up to Sunday’s announcement on Facebook, the public has long been aware that Clinton would most likely throw her hat in the ring a second time. And whether or not you agree with her politics, the United States seems overdue for a woman president.
In America, male politicians far outnumber their female peers, with women representing only 29 percent of political officeholders at any level. And while Israel, Turkey, Croatia, Germany, Sri Lanka, and dozens of other countries have democratically elected women as prime minister, chancellor, and president, the U.S. has never had a woman of either major political party win the presidential nomination.
We’re sure Clinton is receiving plenty of guidance from her advisers, but the following words of wisdom from five recent female heads of state are the perfect reminder for the rest of us why women make great leaders.
Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minster of the United Kingdom, 1979–1990
Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” due to her hard-nosed politics, Thatcher is the only woman to have ever held the title of prime minister in the U.K.—although she famously said a woman might be even more capable of carrying out the job than a man.
“In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman,” said Thatcher in a May 1965 speech at the National Union of Townswomen’s Guilds Conference.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, 2006–Present
This Nobel Peace Prize winner is not only the first female president of Liberia, she’s also the first woman elected as a head of state in all of Africa. She sees her time in office as inspiration to girls everywhere.
“All girls know that they can be anything now. That transformation is to me one of the most satisfying things,” Sirleaf told Time in 2011 during her reelection campaign. “[Having a woman president] sends a signal. Women just all of a sudden come alive because they have a role model, because they know it’s possible.”
Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, 2006–Present
While women are sometimes criticized as being too emotional to hold positions of power, Simpson-Miller sees being able to listen to your heart as an advantage.
“Women are natural caregivers who bring that certain perspective to leadership,” Simpson-Miller told Time in 2012. “Having more women in leadership is pushing governments forward around the world.”
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina, 2007–Present
Clinton may not want to ride on the coattails of her husband’s presidency, but that tactic worked well for Fernández de Kirchner. After serving Argentina as president for four years, her well-liked husband, Néstor Kirchner, stepped aside to put his full support behind his wife’s candidacy. While Fernández de Kirchner admits her husband’s popularity helped her on the campaign trail, she didn’t forget to mention her own accomplishments.
“I was much more well known than he was before, because he was a provincial governor and I was a national senator with a very strong, very high public profile,” she said in 2007 interview with CNN. “It prompted some to say in 2003, ‘Why isn’t she the candidate?’ ”
Clinton likely won’t forget to mention that she’s a former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State.
Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, 2010–Present
Before she became an elected official, Rousseff fought against the formerly unjust Brazilian government. The militaristic regime tortured and imprisoned her for two years in the 1970s. Her background as a political prisoner proved to her constituents that women are just as tough as men.
“I believe that Brazil was prepared to elect a woman. Why? Because Brazilian women achieved that. I didn’t come here by myself, by my own merits. We are a majority here in this country,” said Rousseff in 2010 interview with The Washington Post.
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Original article from TakePart
