I grew up in a family that was a de facto matriarchy. More to the point, my seven sisters, as well as every woman I’ve known since those formative years, make the following seem self-evident:
A growing body of scientific study is turning centuries-old gender research on its head — by suggesting that women are, in fact, stronger than men.
‘We often think of males as being the tougher and more powerful sex,’ explains Angela Saini, author of Inferior, a ground-breaking new book which charts the scientists’ findings. …
‘When it comes to the most basic instinct of all — survival — women’s bodies tend to be better equipped than men’s.’
(Mail Online, June 21, 2017)
I mean, did we really need scientific research to tell us that women live longer than men; that women are more resourceful (even more cunning) than men; and, indeed, that women are stronger than men in every respect except for brute physical strength (and that, even here, the strength women show during childbirth diminishes the superiority generally ascribed to men)?
Hell, drones and robots are even rendering superfluous the male brawn once needed for military warfare. Since time immemorial, men have perpetuated the stereotype of the hysterical, emotionally crippled woman to rationalize their dominance. But most of us can readily attest that, when the rubber meets the road, we’d rather have a woman controlling that joystick than a man.
Meanwhile, has there ever been any question about female superiority when it comes to the myriad forms of soft power, most notably the power of persuasion?
As it happens, I’ve been championing women as the stronger sex for years – as such commentaries as “Cracking the Glass Ceiling: First Woman to Become President in South America,” December 12, 2005, and “Women Make Better Politicians than Men,” October 14, 2010, attest.
This is why I was so heartened when I read recently that Barack Obama, the erstwhile most powerful man in the world, is now doing the same. In “Obama: To Solve World Problems Put Women in Charge,” June 8, 2017, I welcomed him among the ranks of men not empowering but championing women to rule the world.
Here is how I justified this clarion call in “Men Should Be Barred from Politics,” September 25, 2013.
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We have enough data, as well as anecdotal evidence, from the way women have influenced the corporate world to make some credible extrapolations. The correlation between more women holding positions of power and the implementation of family-friendly policies is undeniable in this respect. Therefore, it’s entirely reasonable to assert that if more women held positions of power in politics they would use their power more towards building up human resources than military armaments – just to cite one obvious example.
Finland’s president, prime minister, president of the Supreme Court, as well as eight of its eleven government ministers are all women. Arguably, there’s a direct correlation between their positions and the fact that Newsweek rated this county the best place to live in 2010 – in terms of health, economic dynamism, education, political environment, and quality of life.
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There’s no denying the twin trends of, on the one hand, women dominating the brainy professions, while on the other hand, technology dominating the brawny ones. Therefore, it behooves us to not only champion the ascent of women in this context but also help men cope with the emasculating cultural transformation afoot.
Women have learned that they can be surgeons and physicists without losing their femininity. Men need to understand that traditional manual jobs are not coming back, and that they can be nurses or hairdressers without losing their masculinity.
(Economist, May 30, 2015)
The Economist might have added that men can also take pride in being househusbands, performing the most traditional of all jobs once relegated to women.
Related commentaries:
Put women in charge…
Wonder woman…