I have a Cory Aquino doll!

Denise — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:43:47 -0500

We were stationed in the Philippines during Cory-mania and most of the Americans loved her. While there may not be much controversy over here today, while living in the Philippines there was considerable controversy - and a lot of shootings to go along with that controversy. Frightening times, in many ways - but exciting and awe inspiring in so many others.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Vote for My Wife - Please!

Suzanne Reisman — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:48:38 -0500

Female presidents/prime ministers may not be a dime a dozen, but Hilary Clintonâ€™s run for office is very similar to the few female presidents/prime ministers that are out there: sheâ€™s a former presidentâ€™s family member. Todayâ€™s New York Times reports that the president of Argentina, NÃ©stor Kirchner, is supporting his wife, Senator Cristina FernÃ¡ndez de Kirchner as the Peronist movement candidate. Interestingly, one of the Senatorâ€™s main opponents is another woman, Elisa CarriÃ³, who is in Congress. (In the US, it seems that only one woman at a time is allowed to run for highest office.)

In other countries, women in presidential or prime ministerial roles may also come from politically powerful families. Take Pakistanâ€™s former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. (I do love that Pakistan â€“ country in which honor killings are not necessarily punished and where religious courts condemn women to be stoned or raped for adultery - had a female leader and the US is still dithering about women being fit for office. See how progressive we are?) Bhutto is the oldest daughter of a prominent political family. Sandhya Nankani of Literary Safari wrote about Bhutto in early June:

...I heard a fascinating interview with Benazir Bhutto, former two-time prime minister of Pakistan who is planning to return to Pakistan to â€œtry and restore democracy.â€ In other words, the controversial and divisive political figure who is in self-imposed exile is planning to run for office against the current military regime.

Benazir Bhutto was as eloquent as ever in this interview, and made some really interesting points about the anti-terrorism alliance between the U.S. and Pakistan under General Parvez Musharraf, who she is most certainly beginning to challenge.

Like Hilary Clinton, there are plenty of less flattering views of Bhutto out there based on her sex and class.

Corazon Aquino may not have been married to a president, but her husband was a popular senator and she was born into a politically powerful family. Unlike Sen. Clinton, Sen. FernÃ¡ndez de Kirchner, and Prime Minister Bhutto, there is not too much controversy about Aquino. In an analysis of current and past female national leaders (which I highly recommend reading), The Dame wrote of Aquino, â€œShe was Asia's first female President and world-renowned advocate of democracy, peace, women empowerment, and religious piety,â€ and quoted her as saying, â€œI would rather die a meaningful death than live a meaningless life."

The Dameâ€™s list included Indira Gandhi, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. A very comprehensive examination of Gandhiâ€™s life and role in politics may be found at This and That, a blog by Frasypoo who describes herself as â€œa housewife who believes she is a closet authority on most things ranging from Politics to religion to clothes to makeup,â€ so I adore her. Her words brought tears to my eyes:

Grwoing [sic] up as a young girl I had never realised what a big deal it was to have a woman leading our country. She was always very well put together, great political savvy and even now such a big influence. I think Indian women took massive leaps in society when she was Prime minister.

The point is, while it is great that world has turned to women to lead them and while it may indeed have benefited women, it is sad that so many of them (and the most famous ones at that) have only been able to achieve their power through family connections. To quote The Dame, â€œA woman can lead a nation.â€ Yes, and I hope that increasingly people will see women leaders on their own merits, not just as part of family dynasties.

Suzanne also blogs at Camapign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants

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I have a Cory Aquino doll!

Vote for My Wife - Please!