Society has always been reluctant to elect women into positions of power. Across the world, politics has remained male-dominated, much like most other spheres. And it's not like leaders have done anything to change this regressive dynamic. On the contrary, they have milked society's narrow-mindedness to their advantage. Toxic masculinity has propelled many politicians onto the top post... just look at the White House. In recent times however, the trend has reached alarming levels with blatant sexism becoming a poll pitch. There are almost 200 countries on the face of the earth, and only around 25 have female heads of state or government. Among the most powerful countries, this list is even more lopsided. The problem is not just lack of representation, it is the attitude of the men who are currently in power.
A case in point is the President of Philippines, Rodriguo Duterte. This man is an embodiment of this article's header. His speeches can be best described as a volley of nonsense and toxicity. For Duterte, the following are just 'jokes'. He once made a lewd comment about his own Vice-President's skirt, and that too at an event which had typhoon survivors in attendance. Duterte once proclaimed that he had asked his military to shoot female guerrilla fighters in their genitals. He also made a rape joke about an Australian missionary who was raped and killed during a prison siege. Safe to say, Duterte is an enemy of mankind with not even an ounce of civilisation in him. But what's worse is how the public often react to his statements. His inappropriate jokes are greeted by raucous applause from his supporters.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thinks he is the Incredible Hulk, but a close look at his past comments suggest he is an incredible creep. Johnson, during his days as a journalist was a serial offender. He was once at a Labour conference, after which he wrote a piece dishing out some poison about 'the hot totty' present at the event. Fast forward a few year, and this was Johnson's advice to his successor about how to treat a female co-worker. "Just pat her on the bottom, and send her on her way." He recently called his political rival Jeremy Corbyn a 'great big girl's blouse'.
Across the Atlantic is Boris' mirror image Donald Trump. Trump wears his misogyny on his sleeves, and does not even bother to deflect attention. Trump does not flinch when he objectifies women, in fact he thrives in the middle of such controversies. His so-called 'locker room' talk did virtually no damage to his poll numbers. In one of his books, Trump calls women inherently manipulative. There is simply no point trying to build a case against Trump, since he does most of the work himself.
Closer home, Narendra Modi is no stranger to sexist comments. He was once kind enough to praise Bangladesh's leader Sheikh Hasina for tackling terrorism 'despite being a woman'. Sexism is the norm in Indian politics. From Mulayam Singh to Rahul Gandhi, the rot is widespread.
Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro who basically despises anything that can breathe and think freely is another example. He recently retweeted an extremely lewd social media post about French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron.
Were world leaders always like this, or is the growing public attention bringing more instances to light? Needless to say, people are more aware of the line that should not be crossed. A couple of years back, dog whistles were very common in political speeches. Not to say they are not anymore, but people identify them more easily nowadays. For background research on this piece, I went online to find instances were former President Obama was misogynistic. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any. Or maybe it's because they are not well documented. But the theme is recent. This decade has thrown up some pretty eccentric leaders. They keep us entertained, and make headlines that read like punchlines for a joke. But they are also extremely dangerous. Behind their benign facade of being beautifully dumb is a toxic mindset that can corrupt an entire nation.
But trailblazers are getting more attention nowadays because of the growing public attention that was just mentioned. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a shining example. Her reaction to the Christchurch shooting probably deserves to be canonised as a guidebook. She led her country out of a traumatic incident in the best manner possible. And she cracked down on gun laws immediately.
So what's the solution? Well when it comes to toxic leaders, there is just one option, universal vigilance. Misogyny cannot be a popular opinion, and it is incumbent on civilians to make sure it does not happen. Politics has been around for centuries, and we must realise by now that politicians don't reform themselves. It takes constant rebellion and ultimately voting them out of power to be rid of their policies.
No comments:
Post a Comment