Seven Iron Ladies
Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the United States, seems to be in the running. Her chances of being elected to the highest office in the US are quite high. If this happens, we will see yet another brilliant example of female leadership in the world of politics, which, unfortunately, is still too male-dominated. If this happens, Ms Harris will find herself in more than respectable company of women national leaders who have already made their mark in political history. So let's look at those who have been or are currently in the highest offices in their countries.
We chose seven women leaders, although initially, we planned to limit ourselves to five. We really wanted to show that the world is changing, as is the role of women in high politics. The tragic fate of Benazir Bhutto, again tragic but still bright fate of Indira Gandhi, the ingratitude towards Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher, the powerful persistence of Dalia Grybauskaitė, the controversy surrounding Ursula von der Leyen, and the turbulent evolution of Giorgia Meloni - each of these great personalities deserves attention and respect.
Does politics change when women lead? Partly yes, partly no. The examples of Meir, Gandhi, Thatcher, and Grybauskaitė indicate that in some ways, the toughness and determination of women leaders can be impressive, even compared to male leaders. At the same time, women leaders are almost always oriented towards seeking greater justice and harmony for society. And such combinations can open new prospects for humanity.
Photo: Golda Meir (1898-1978). Source: Wikipedia
Golda Meir
Probably the most challenging path in politics and leadership was trodden by Golda Meir (1898-1978), Prime Minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. So far, she remains the only woman to have headed the Israeli government and, by the way, the only female leader in Middle Eastern countries. She came from a Jewish family that lived in Kyiv (Ukraine) until her family emigrated to the United States in 1906.
It is worth recalling that this year was known for the harsh suppression of labour and public unrest by the Russian Tsarist government, including in Kyiv, which was then the third-largest city in the Russian Empire. The reactionary crackdown was accompanied by a strong anti-Semitic campaign and Jewish pogroms.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Golda Meir, along with her husband, moved to what was then the British Mandate of Palestine in 1921, and in 1948, she signed the Declaration of Independence of Israel. A year later, she became Minister of Labour, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thus, Meir was indeed among the founders of the state she later led.
Her figure is also interesting because, during her tenure as head of government, Israel was several times attacked by its neighbours. Ultimately, when the Yom Kippur War began in 1973, Israel was taken by such surprise that it led to heavy losses. Although this war also ended in victory for the Israeli army, public outrage over the significant losses led to her political party not gaining a majority in the next elections. Golda Meir lost her position and later died from a severe illness.
However, she managed to write an autobiography, "My Life," which became a New York Times bestseller. She is the subject of the biographical film "Golda" (2023, USA-UK), which focuses on the events of the Yom Kippur War. Her character is also portrayed in the film "Munich" (2005, USA), which tells the story of the terrorist attack on Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Photo: Indira Gandhi (1917-1984). Source: Wikipedia
Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) served as the Prime Minister of India for nearly 16 years – from 1966 to 1977, and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Like Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi was also called the "Iron Lady" long before this nickname was associated with Margaret Thatcher. Indira Gandhi was the first and so far the only woman Prime Minister of India. She did not enter politics by chance, as she was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India after the country gained independence. Her son, Rajiv Gandhi, succeeded her as Prime Minister of India after her death.
Indira Gandhi was more than a tough leader. During her tenure, the country managed to create nuclear weapons, repelled Chinese forces in the Himalayas, and fought a war with Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh in what was formerly East Pakistan. At that time, India successfully claimed the role of a regional superpower but also managed to establish very friendly relations with the USSR and effectively led the Non-Aligned Movement, which positioned itself as an alternative to both the Soviet bloc and developed countries. Indira Gandhi was indeed a controversial figure: real efforts to combat poverty, but the creation of a personality cult; the "Green Revolution" (a leap in agricultural sector efficiency), but mass killings during the suppression of civil unrest; socialist slogans, but rather pragmatic economic policies; the fight for women's equality, but almost no women in top positions. In 1980, when Gandhi and her Indian National Congress returned to power, her book "My Truth" was published.
Her assassination was an act of revenge by Sikhs who were outraged by the repressions Indira Gandhi resorted to in order to suppress the Sikh separatist movement. She was attacked by two of her own Sikh bodyguards, who were later executed.
Photo: Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013). Source: Wikipedia
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, the longest tenure in over 120 years. She was the leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990 and truly governed the country as the "Iron Lady." She could indeed be called a "self-made woman" - a middle-class representative who entered regional politics at the age of 25 and climbed numerous steps in public service.
Harsh social and economic reforms, victory in the Falklands War against Argentina, and success in the Cold War against the USSR, in which she was a worthy partner to Ronald Reagan (US President from 1981 to 1989) - these are perhaps the main achievements Thatcher is remembered for. After being elected for the first term, she initiated a series of economic reforms, which she continued during her second term - the privatisation of state corporations, the suppression of the excessive influence of trade unions, especially in the coal industry, and the reorganisation of the financial sector.
Perhaps her most famous quote is: "The state has no source of money other than the money people earn themselves... There is no such thing as public money; there is only taxpayers' money." However, in 1990, due to disagreements within the leadership of the Conservative Party, Margaret Thatcher was forced to resign. This was primarily due to dissatisfaction with her Euroscepticism and certain tax innovations. Specifically, the so-called "Community Charge" or poll tax she introduced sparked mass unrest and was abolished in 1991 by her successor, John Major. Two films have been dedicated to Margaret Thatcher - "Margaret" (2009) and "The Iron Lady" (2011). She is also a central character in the fourth season of the series "The Crown." Thatcher wrote two autobiographical books – "The Downing Street Years" (1993) and "The Path to Power" (1995), as well as a programmatic book "Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World" (2002).
Photo: Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007). Source: Wikipedia
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. Born into a wealthy aristocratic family, her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was the leader of the Pakistan People's Party and served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. She became the first woman Prime Minister in a Muslim-majority country, though her tenure ended tragically. Her development as a politician was influenced by the ideas of Margaret Thatcher and her education at leading British universities.
After completing her studies in Britain, she returned to Pakistan in 1977, but had to leave the country again when she was persecuted and her father was executed by the military following a coup that overthrew him. However, in 1986 she returned to reform the Pakistan People's Party towards conservative-liberal views and won the elections in 1988. Her reforms were halted by Islamist forces, primarily President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and the military, leading to her dismissal in 1990. She was prevented from winning the subsequent election due to vote rigging.
Nonetheless, she won the elections in 1993, initiating a programme of privatisation and women's rights protection. Her governance was disrupted by several attempted military coups, the assassination of her brother Murtaza, and corruption charges, leading to her eventual resignation and exile. In 2003, a Swiss court convicted her of corruption, but President General Pervez Musharraf allowed her to return to Pakistan in 2007. She planned to participate in the 2008 elections with a platform advocating civilian oversight of the military. However, she was assassinated during a political rally, with Al-Qaeda publicly claiming responsibility.
Photo: Dalia Grybauskaitė (born 1956). Source: Wikipedia
Dalia Grybauskaitė
Dalia Grybauskaitė (born in 1956 in Soviet-occupied Lithuania) served as the President of Lithuania from 2009 to 2019, completing two consecutive terms. Prior to that, she held the position of Minister of Finance from 2001 to 2004 and was the European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget from 2004 to 2009. As Finance Minister, she negotiated and facilitated Lithuania's accession to the EU, a role she had been involved with in various capacities since 1991.
She was educated at the prestigious Leningrad State University named after A. A. Zhdanov (now Saint Petersburg, Russia), majoring in political economy. Gaining admission to this university during Soviet times was not easy, but it seems the Soviet authorities had high hopes for Grybauskaitė as a future promoter of communist ideas. Fortunately, her personal convictions shielded her from the brainwashing effects of the highly ideological faculty.
After winning the election, Grybauskaitė frequently cited Margaret Thatcher and Mahatma Gandhi as role models, earning her the moniker "Iron Lady" among journalists. However, she was also a pragmatic leader, meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2010, shortly after her election, to explore the possibility of building pragmatic relations between the countries. But Putin's demands left no room for such development.
In 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbas in Ukraine, Grybauskaitė described Russia as a "terrorist state engaging in open aggression against its neighbours." A few years later, she stated that Lithuania must be prepared for a Russian invasion and that Western countries would only "wake up" when Russia attacked them.
Her warnings have proven prescient, though fortunately not entirely: Russia is indeed attacking European countries, albeit in a hybrid manner, with direct invasion so far occurring only in Ukraine. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Grybauskaitė has been a harsh critic of EU and NATO governments for their indecisiveness and feeble support in countering Russia's war efforts.
Photo: Ursula von der Leyen (born 1958). Source: Wikipedia
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen (born 1958) was re-elected as President of the European Commission on 18 July, extending her term until 2029. She has held this position since 2019. Her re-election indicates that both the European People's Party, which she represents, and von der Leyen herself have effectively managed the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis.
The effectiveness of the European Commission under von der Leyen in handling the existential challenge of Russia's war in Ukraine remains to be seen. It’s worth noting that before her election as President of the European Commission, von der Leyen served as Germany's Federal Minister of Defence in Angela Merkel's government from 2013 to 2019. Prior to that, she was Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth from 2005 to 2009, and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 2009 to 2013.
As Germany's Defence Minister, von der Leyen received many accolades and was even considered for the role of NATO Secretary-General. However, the war in Ukraine revealed an uncomfortable truth: neither the German army nor the armies of other European countries were prepared for large-scale conflict with an aggressor. Additionally, Germany has chronically failed to meet NATO's defence spending requirement of at least 2% of GDP, a target it still has not met. Furthermore, von der Leyen’s 2015 call to refrain from supplying arms to Ukraine to avoid provoking Russia into a full-scale war has not been forgotten. Ironically, it was the lack of arms supplies that provoked Russia into launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it became clear that Germany not only lacked sufficient weapon stockpiles to support Ukraine but also had to rebuild its supply chains. Under von der Leyen's leadership, however, the EU and NATO countries are quickly restoring their capabilities and ramping up arms production. The ultimate political judgement on Ursula von der Leyen’s tenure will likely be influenced by the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
Photo: Giorgia Meloni (born 1977). Source: Wikipedia
Giorgia Meloni
Giorgia Meloni (born 1977) has been the Prime Minister of Italy since 2022 and is the leader of the far-right political party Brothers of Italy and the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR), which won 73 seats in the European Parliament in this year’s elections, up from 62 seats in the previous elections.
She actively promotes initiatives to control and regulate the influx of migrants into both her country and the EU as a whole. Despite the controversial positions of far-right parties in Europe regarding Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, Meloni and her political force have taken a clear stance: the aggressor must lose.
Meloni's political journey is noteworthy, evolving from her involvement in the youth wing of the Italian Social Movement (MSI, a neo-fascist political party) during her teenage years to becoming a mature, pragmatic right-wing politician with a tough rhetoric. She is also the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Italy.