Women have always been
underestimated and systemically oppressed – their ability to lead and act under
pressure has been questioned and their intellect and strengths ridiculed for as
long as one can remember. There’s no argument that we’ve been treated as
second-class citizens due to the gender politics that’s forever dominated the
society.

Thanks to specified
gender roles, breaking the norm leads to unjustified criticism and often
punishment. Women are supposed to be in the kitchen, fetching their husbands a
sandwich – at least, this was their sole reality a couple of decades ago.

Of course, we did
witness occasions where women fought their way up into the stereotypically
male-centric fields such as science, engineering, and politics. Despite the
struggle, their ability to lead a country remains doubtful in the public eye.
Some felt it was outrageous to even allow women into politics, thinking they can’t
lead governments but they must accompany their husbands to events like the First
Lady – ornament is the word, really. 

But
this was history.                                                                                                                          

We’ve moved on and are
no longer interested in being a Jacqueline Kennedy. Not to undermine her
strength because let’s face it, she experienced immense discrimination and
objectification as well. But what we mean here is that women in the 21^st
century are more interested in running the office instead of running the
kitchen.

We have some incredible
examples, living right in front of our eyes. It’s great to be alive in a time when
women are not just serving their country, but also giving men a run for their
money. Once you equip women with education and equal opportunities, you see how capable
and intelligent they are.

They have substance, ideas, and resilience to offer.
If given the same treatment and respect in society, they prove to be the better
half.

And maybe men always
knew this, which is why they’ve always tried to control the narrative. Who
decided that women can’t work in corporations

Who said they don’t have
valuable opinions and ideas to share? Who assumed that women can’t handle
pressure? Look around and you’ll find women multi-tasking far more commonly and
efficiently than men. They cook, look after their families, and work hard in
the office, all while wearing heels. Can men do that?

Source: Vox EU

The world witnessed
women in all their glory during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. They
proved to be better leaders – exhibiting pragmatism, resilience, and
benevolence in times of major crises. Without restricting our discussion to Jacinda
Ardern, who is obviously the most dignified leader in the world today, we’ll
take other prominent female leaders into consideration:

Denmark, Germany,
Iceland, Norway, Taiwan, New-Zealand, and Finland are all governed by women.
It’s now evident how comfortably they have been managing the unprecedented
COVID-19 pandemic. When male leaders chose to remain in denial and be outright
racist, female leaders trusted their instincts and prepared for action. They
collectively showed common sense and logic without losing their beautiful smile.

Source: IE Women Initiative

They received praisewith utmost humility – something that may have miffed the male leaders who
never forget to remind you of that one time they did something right.

Empathy and compassion
are considered to be feminine and weak traits – and it was exactly this ability
in women that won them this race. In every public presentation, Jacinda Ardern
reminds her people to be kind and compassionate. It’s interesting to see that
the same attributes that have pushed them into the corner and into a box helped
them stand out and claim success during such globally trying times. “Oh, women are too emotional!” they say.
Maybe that’s exactly what we need in the world right now: emotional intelligence.

Evidence has proved that countries that are led by women fought and won
the war against the virus more efficiently and quickly. The death toll and
overall cases of these countries were far less as compared to the countries led
by men.

If we open up our minds, we’ll see remarkable stories of women. It’s wonderful to see women soaring high despite facing
discrimination and obstacles. Pay parity, lack of resources, gender abuse, lack
of basic rights… it’s truly pathetic how far men have gone to secure their
position at the top. Their entitlement and privilege reek of insecurity. They
know that if everyone starts playing on the same level field, they wouldn’t
stand a chance.

When you view such
remarkable talent and skill, it’s hard to not be angry at the system. Why do
terms like glass ceiling exist? Why don’t women get promoted the same way their
male counterparts do? They’re not even paid the same amount as their equals in
the company!

Forget corporate, let’s look at the academics
sector: Only
35% of women are enrolled in programs that teach
STEM. The numbers are outrageous and prove that there’s a need for action. So
many courses are not even offered to women, so it’s not like they even try.

There was a time when
women couldn’t enroll in the army to serve their nation. With time they proved
to be both mentally and physically fit, and now you see them being represented
in the combat forces. However, let’s not forget that these women have had to
fight their way to the top. They weren’t even given proper washrooms to change
into their uniforms at first – this is how difficult their fight has been.

Today we see women being
represented in all fields of life, and our heart swells with pride. It’s
because of the hardships of these superlative women that we get to enjoy the basic luxuries of life. They walked so that we could run and we must not let
this opportunity slip because of complacency.

In the movie Little Women,
Jo March says something that resonates with every woman today. She said, “Women – they have minds, and they have
souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got
talent, as well as just beauty.  I’m so
sick of people saying that love is just all that a woman is fit for. I’m so
sick of it.”

So let’s tell the world
how amazing we are and grow our legacy! Let’s prove to the
world that we can lead in every domain of life.