12 January 2022, NIICE Commentary 7597
Mahek B Marwaha
Gender is a social construct and still so even today, masculinity is a synonym of power, courage, strength, and even violence. The age-old patriarchal system, ingrained in the world makes this thought process a norm which concludes that women are not suited for the role of defending a country politically and economically as they are incapable of taking bold and harsh decisions. Naturally, a question arises what does one mean by harsh decisions in the International Theater? When Geraldine Ferraro the US representative from democrats for Vice President ship was asked “Could you push the nuclear button?” the question itself was so off-putting as it showcased the views of male-dominated society on war and power. According to them, the war is the ultimate solution which shows the supremacy of the victors. This is such a problematic attitude for a world leader whose main objective should be growth and development and not destruction. Why was Geraldine Ferraro belittled? Because she understood how grave war is and how it can worsen the growth and development of a country and more importantly, she like any other woman prioritized growth and development.
Understanding the problem
The difference between a man and a woman is of their priorities. From primitive beings, Men are more inclined towards protecting the home and Women are more inclined towards the growth and development of the home and both these emotions are equally important. The problem lies when the world glorifies protecting the home and vilifies the growth and development of that saame home as the less important one.
When seventy-five percent of the world legislatures are still men, this glorification of protection gets traction and amplification. Protecting the home country (Protectionism) makes the world leaders fearful of the other states (realism) and hence there is a rise in weapon industry which is growing out of the need to make the country safe by protecting from the enemy state. If the other leaders of the state are also males the protectionism attitude is amplified multiple times and becomes the main reason for instigating war.
Prioritizing the growth and development of the country is not to defy the need for the protectionism approach, it means that protectionism weighs lesser than the growth of the country. Hence, if the majority of leaders were women then every country would be more focused on growth and developmental policies giving a rise to social, economical, and political development thereby making the world a safer place.
But can women not push the button when the situation arrives? Can women not prioritize the national security of the homeland when the situation arises? The answer lies with Indira Gandhi; she had very strong objectives for India in the context of National Security considering the demand of the situation. It was her courage and astute mind that led to the Liberation of Bangladesh from the savages of Yahya Khan. If she was not there the 2021 India would have been very volatile on the security front as Bangladesh would still be under Pakistan and Pakistan’s strategy of “Bleed India with 1000 cuts” would have impaired India considering Pakistan’s hold in the west and east. So can women not protect the state by making harsh decisions? They definitely can.
Men prioritize protection Women prioritize growth
But why does it have to be this way? Why can’t the majority of men prioritize growth? There are several empirical evidence from science that biologically men have a higher tendency to go for war or a violent act of aggression to showcase power, strength for the protection of their home, and it is simply because of the higher concentration of testosterone found in men. This higher level of testosterone that is 300-1000 ng/dl, is what gives them the aggression, virility, and agility needed for protecting the home or in a primitive sense their family and babies. While women can also have a high level of testosterone, their maximum will still be 4 times lesser that is 9-55ng/dl, when compared to an average male. Women have more estrogen and progesterone levels their hormones are responsible for creating a suitable environment for their infant during pregnancy and when this characteristic gets amplified it is used to create a suitable environment called home for the growth and development of their children. Hence the biological aspect when combined with the sociological impact it can have on the world, is conducive for development and hostile for war-like situations.
The Past has the solution, the present is the key, and the future is the locked door
The Past- The answer can be found in the world’s past. The China of Wu Zetian the only female empress to rule it made a lot of changes when she came to power. In Wu Zetian’s China females enjoyed better representation in various fields. More females started to become educated and liberated in this era. China has always been a male-dominated society. This change in leadership was seen as advancement for women in China. Although in the late 20th Century, the foundation has already been laid by J Ann Tickner and Jean Elshtain, they came from a time where there was no feminism, in the geopolitical realm. What they started was nothing sort of a revolution in this man’s world. But this revolution can only get traction by systematic planning and execution of their teachings to all students and humans irrespective of their area of expertise.
The Present– Leaders like Indira Gandhi (India), Ellen John Sir Leaf (Liberia), Jacinda Arden(New Zealand), Angela Merkel(Germany), Sheik Hassina(Bangladesh), Tsai-Ing-Wen(Taiwan), Sanna Marin(Finland), etc are some handful heads of the state at different time zones, in the world. In today’s world – For the first time in 2021 women’s representation in politics around the globe has crossed more than twenty-five percent, as reported by IPU- Inter-Parliamentary Union. Mostly optimistic but being aware of the never-ending hurdles which women representatives face while rising to the top, the real game-changer will only be when it will exceed more than fifty-one percent of the legislation seats occupied by women around the globe. The surprise element comes with Rwanda having 61% of women in legislation, the highest in the world. The first female head of the African continent, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia is already making changes alongside the women leaders of Africa by launching an initiative for up-skilling the future women leaders of the continent in high-ranking govt positions. Sirleaf led a movement in war-torn Liberia in the past that has sowed the seeds today which has already set up the course of an irreversible change for the betterment of the African Continent.
The Future-The inclusion of teachings related to male and female psychology combined with their biological aspects as well as teachings of feminists like J. Ann Tickner, Jean Elshtain, etc. will have a positive impact on every gender as they can reach their maximum potential by utilizing and harmonizing with their emotions and hormones. This will have positive growth for an increase in female legislators and policymakers which will create an impact on professional lifestyle in office spaces, work ethics, and business, hence creating personal, psychological, and lifestyle changes. With the rise of women leaders in all the decision making bodies of the world, there is a certainty that gender-neutral spaces will come up in the future, hence creating an ecosystem where women can thrive and hence the thought process of growth and development, of nurturing business, homes, and lives would gain traction rather than the realist’s fearful approach of protection and war.
For that to happen a shift from the minuscule representation of female leaders to a large representation of women in major policy and decision making is needed. Because female leaders in a minority can only cause microscopic change, but having majority-female leaders can amplify the cause leading to irreversible, impactful, and positive changes making the world a safer place.
Mahek B Marwaha is a Research Intern at NIICE.
