It was a special day at the Northern School of Peace, Conflict and Justice. The topic in one of the second-year classes was “Women Leaders” to mark International Women’s Day on March 8th. Erica, the professor began with a question: “What do the following Institutions have in common: U.S. AID, The International Monetary Fund, The World Food Programme, “The Economist” and the European Commission?”
There was quiet from the 28 in attendance (16 women and 12 men). Then, a hand went up. “They’re all political organizations focusing on International Development.”
“Partly right,” said Erica.
“The leaders are all women,” said Hamara.
“Correct,” said the professor. “Do any of you know their names and anything about them?” Another long pause, then Hamara spoke again, “I think Cindy McCain is head of The World Food Programme.”
“Well,” said the professor, “U.S. Aid is headed by Samantha Power, a former key adviser to Barack Obama. Kristina Georgieva from Bulgaria, a mother of four, is head of the International Monetary Fund. She succeeded Christine Lagarde from France who now heads the European Central Bank. The editor-in-chief of “The Economist” is Zanny Minton Beddoes, she’s often on CNN on Sunday morning. And the head of the European Commission is Ursula Von der Leyden, a physician, mother of seven and considered by many to be the most powerful and influential woman in the world.”
“These women, though not elected politicians, have enormous influence.” Now Erica had their attention. “OK, let’s flip to Canada,” she said. “How many women ran in the last Canadian election and how many were elected?” Guesses flew. “The answer,” said Erica, “is 582 ran and 103 were elected, both setting records. Women now make up 30% of Canadian Parliament, and there are 19 female cabinet members out of 39 … almost half.”
“Next question: When did women first get to vote in Canada and who was the first one elected to parliament?”
“1917,” said two of the students simultaneously. One added that the first woman elected was Agnes McPhail in 1921.
“Yes,” said Erica. “Sticking with elected politicians, can you name three women who are mayors of a major Canadian city?”
“Olivia Chow in Toronto, Jyoti Gondek in Calgary and Valerie Plante in Montreal,” came from various students.
“Since you know that one, how many municipalities in Canada have female mayors? Is it: 67, 105, 250 or 310? After many guesses, “250 is correct,” said Erica. “And since you have a good read on Canada’s elected women, how about how many female mayors there were in 1950?” No one knew the answer, including the professor, but she surmised there were only a handful, including Charlotte Whitton in Ottawa in the 1950s. “She came to office when the mayor died in 1951. She was freely elected in 1953 and served without a break until 1964. Charlotte was colourful, and remembered for many things including the quote, “Women have to do twice as well as men to be thought of as half as good. Fortunately, that is not difficult.’”
The teaching continued to review history’s many strong women leaders: Queen Victoria, Indira Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Golda Meir, to name a few. More recently, Angela Merkel in Germany and Kamala Harris, Nicki Haley and Hilary Clinton in the US. Some women were young. Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, became Prime Minister at 37 and is now a visiting fellow at Harvard. Sanna Marin was elected President of Finland at age 34. After years of neutrality, she successfully got Finland admitted into NATO. Not to be forgotten are Liberians Leymah Gbowee, an activist, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman head of government in Africa. They rallied Liberian women to protest the civil war, including among their tactics a sex strike. They were awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize along with female activist Tawakkul Karman from Yemen.
“Do these very capable women leaders inspire you or make you feel you have accomplished nothing?”
“Both!” stated everyone. Professor Erica went on. “In general, women leaders have been extremely capable at making things happen. Kevin Kruse, CEO of LeadX has suggested some reasons why many believe women are more effective leaders than men. Any thoughts?”
“Because they are more trusted than men.”
“Because women are better at developing relationships than men.”
“These are included,” Erica said. “But according to Kruse, research also shows that women have better creative competencies and lower reactive tendencies, better self-awareness, and appear to be more authentic and better aware of systems. They build stronger connections and play for all to win. Men are more likely to adopt a “play not to lose” position.”
Erica asked, “Do you need to be in politics to be a leader?”
“No,” said Janine. “Oprah, Taylor Swift, Malala, and Greta Thunberg are all influential. In sports, how about Billie Jean King? And there are many women doctors, lawyers, and business leaders. According to FORBES magazine, 10% of the Fortune 500 have women CEOs. Furthermore, there are many outstanding female volunteers and stay-at-home moms who are great leaders. The stay-at-home moms lead in many ways, including passing on values and skills to their children.”
“Next question: What 10 countries have the highest gender equality?”
“According to the World Population Review, the top 10 are: Iceland (89%), Finland, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Namibia, Rwanda, Lithuania, Ireland, and Switzerland. Two of the top ten are in Africa: Namibia and Rwanda. The worst, not surprisingly, is Afghanistan (44%), followed by Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Where do you think Canada stands?”
Most of the class were baffled. Canada was listed as 24th due to statistics of domestic violence, low political power and economic inequality. One student asked, “How do we help women achieve equality?”
“Education,” said Immanuel. They all agreed. Another said, “Change men.” There was silence, then an embarrassed laugh. Erica said this reminded her of a U.N. conference on children she attended about 20 years ago. In a breakout session on AIDS, one African man stood up to answer the question, “How do we stop AIDS?” “We men need to change our behaviour,” he said, to a loud round of derisive laughter from men and women from all over the world. Someone shouted, “Men will never change,” and the man sat down.
“Is it any different now? Will men change?” There was a cold silence in the room, and Erica continued, “Melinda Gates says change will happen only when women move into positions of power in multiple places. Sally Armstrong, a long-time writer/advocate for women’s rights, and author of Power Shift, says women’s rights have been a long time coming but it is happening. Women all over the world are demanding a better, more equitable place beside men, and they need men by their side. She believes there has never been a better time to be a woman.”
Erica concluded the class by quoting the IWD International Days statement, “The theme of the U.N. International Day for Women on March 8 is “Inspire Inclusion.” When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there is a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.”
Chris Snyder is the author of several books and several hundred articles on personal finance, Chris’ most recent book "Creating Opportunities-A Volunteer's Memoir" describes a lifetime of volunteer experiences, much of it as an active member of the Rotary Club of Toronto and on many not-for-profit boards. Chris is past chair of the Canadian Landmine Foundation, founding chair/current chair of HIP (Honouring Indigenous Peoples) and the Trudeau Centre of Peace, Conflict and Justice as well as past board member of CUSO and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He organizes and runs hands-on school building trips to the developing world and is the recipient of many volunteer and community service awards, among them the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, the Queen's Gold and Diamond Jubilee Awards, the Rotary Service-Above-Self Award and the Governor General's Sovereign Award for Volunteering. His upcoming book, “Good News in A Crazy World,” will be published by Civil Sector Press in 2024.
