Do you think the world would be a nicer place if all politicians were women?

[Gopin]

I’m so heartbroken by what is going on with Israel/Gaza/Lebanon.

The day I became a mum was the day my heart left my body. I see the news stories and just absolutely bloody fear for children, the elderly, animals etc.

We are on this planet for such a short period of time. I can’t stand it!

It makes me hate the men making these decisions. I genuinely believe the world would be a better place if women were in charge. We are naturally empathetic (broadly speaking).

I can’t be wrong, surely?

I’m all cosy in my home and people’s worlds are being obliterated a couple of thousands of miles away. It’s an awful reality I wish I could just ignore

|I think there would be less war, death and destruction.

No.
There's plenty of incompetent and/or deluded and/or evil women out there too.

It's also well documented that countries thrive when women are involved at all levels of decision making. Women have different needs to men and it's important those needs are taken into account.

Liz Truss. So no. IME there should be a blend of people. Women can be every bit as bad as men

Yes! Northern Ireland is progressing well with 2 ladies in charge

God, no.

My mother would have cheerfully nuked at least 30 other countries by teatime on her first day as Ruler of the World. Especially if they looked at her a bit funny.

No, I think everyone needs representation.

Funnily enough though, I have just read Anna Wheeler and William Thompson's argument from 1825 that if we either had to have all men or all women politicians, it would be better to have all women. This is because men are physically stronger, so women would be unable to oppress men and therefore would make fairer laws.

PDF: https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/assets/documents/rare-books/39-Appeal-of-one-half-of-the-human-race-Women-against-the-pretensions-of-the-other-half-Men.pdf

There has been some good academic work done on this very question, and I think the consensus was that female leaders are less likely to engage in war… I’ll try find and link it.

It's interesting how a handful of women are cited as an excuse for not having women in charge. Yet if I asked you to name all incompetent and 'mad' male politicians or leaders, MN wouldn't have the space.

No. People's qualities are important, not their sex.

Yes but we would have to get rid of the patriarchy.
At present only traits viewed as masculine are valued.
In order to succeed women have to take on typically masculine traits.
When I was in my 20s, the only female managers were childfree, mothers were never promoted. Even then, the very top bosses were all male.
The world would be a much better place if all the religious books written by men were destroyed and women wrote the rules.
Imagine a world where it is completely acceptable that men could only leave the house when accompanied by a female relative. Imagine a world where men had to cover their entire body before leaving the house.
All the problems I’ve seen on the news today have been caused by men. From the conflict in Lebanon to the rioting in Harehills, to rapists such as Al Fayed and Sean Combs. Always men.

Exactly,most politicians are self serving fuckers.

Maybe, maybe not.
I guess we would end up with some legal fandangle to have some fancy knitted doll thing over every roll of bathroom tissue if it did happen.

No women are just as bad if not worse, and I say that as a woman myself.

I was just thinking this and wondering if the effort trying to express it would be worth it 😅. You have done a much better hob than I would have.

Also while women still seek male approval then no, never.

God, no. While women might be considered to prize more co-operative values and tactics as a sex, women who thrive in politics are just as ruthless and self serving as men.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2022/03/08/sheryl-sandberg-says-female-leaders-dont-go-to-war-heres-what-research-says/

this summarizes the research I was thinking of- which showed that whilst generally women pursue conflict less than men, women in power likely have roughly the same risk appetite (I’d misremembered the research)- however there’s lots of other research out there that suggests links between womens inequality and armed conflict at a subnational level- so it’s not just about having more female leaders, but having a more equal society generally.

Yup. And a law about everyone having to wear fairy wings.

Difficult to know (I realise I am stating the obvious)

The women cited as examples of why women would be terrible leaders have risen to prominence within a very very male dominated environment and it maybe that it takes a certain personality to achieve.

If the environment was very very female dominated then it may be that more favourable traits will be seen amongst our leaders, including the few men who break through their glass ceiling.

Women are not “worse” than men by any metric.

Women do not murder, rape, violently attack at anything like the rate of men. When women commit crime, it tends to be economic crime and is often linked to desperate poverty.

Women shoulder the majority of society’s caring roles, both paid and unpaid.

Countries and US states led by women weathered the covid crisis better and lost less people.

Companies with more women, perform better economically.

Countries with more women in govt are more prosperous.

I could go on…

Absolutely not

Have you seen what posters on MN think is normal?

It doesn't matter what gender politicians are, what they all need to do is prioritise peace for the world to become more safe. We've allowed the warmongers to dictate policy for so long, we think there is no other way. There is. But there's no money in that for the military industrial complex. The people caught up in the middle east conflict are just collateral and viewed as such. So are ordinary people living everywhere, including Britain.

Exactly this.

The trouble is that women in power in 2024, are moving in a patriarchal capitalist system.

It’s not enough to say “what if more women led at an international level”- you have to say “what if there was true equality for women, and women were equally represented in power at all levels- local, regional, national, in politics, industry etc? What if ideologically patriarchal social, cultural and economic dominance was systematically dismantled in favour of feminist ideology?”

This does not mean, by the way, men lose out. As bell hooks said, (I paraphrase) patriarchy hurts everyone- including men.

Its not enough to stick more women into the top level of a patriarchal system. You have to change it from the ground up, wholesale. That’s when you’ll see real change.

I don’t think there would be as much war, death and destruction, yet we get called the emotional ones!!!

I would never be able to knowingly cause death and destruction. Especially to an innocent, beautiful child. There is no greater good valuable enough to justify this. I think most women would agree.