Powerful Women with Femininity

The role of women in power is as advanced as it ever has been.  More and more women are taking over areas of work that have long been considered “men’s work”.  They are becoming doctors and lawyers and CEO’s of companies.  We even had a women run for president.  Back even to the seventies, women were still fighting for things like equal pay and job opportunity.  Along the way, we have seen many women display leadership in a time when it was not commonly accepted.  Lady Macbeth shows us that women have the same potential as men.  Of course the leadership she was showing was planning a murder and bossing her husband around by doing, but she was strong enough.  Lady Macbeth was the brains behind the operation of the murder of Duncan.  This is a good example of how powerful women got their plans and an idea through before it was socially acceptable for them to voice it themselves.  Even though Lady Macbeth was the one who planned the murder and made sure it went off without a hitch, who do we remember as the murder of Duncan? MACBETH!  This is partly because Macbeth believed she wouldn’t have been able to complete the murder because she was too much of a woman.  Her feelings would get in the way.  Even Lady Macbeth believes that.  She asks the God to “unsex her” so she can be more manly in order to murder Duncan.  Due to women feeling more confident and the evolving opinions of people, many power women have been able to assume positions of power.  One example is Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom.  She is also the longest-serving British prime minister of the twentieth century.  She is often referred to as the “Iron Lady” for her firm opposition to the Soviet Union.  A film based on her life released this year.  She faced many hardships in order to gain her position of power.  People hated her, a woman, being in charge of the country.  One clip from the movie has her in a room full of men and she says “Now gentlemen, shall we join the ladies”.  This is a prime example of sexism showing that in order from women to be in power, they must be tough and manly.  Many women are already tough, and being tough doesn’t necessarily make you a good leader.  Compassion and empathy are two very important emotions to think of when one is in a position of leadership.  A gruff, no- mercy man may not lead a group of people as well as a tough, but compassionate woman.  Women are not free cannons with their emotions either.  They don’t go around screaming or crying all the time.  They don’t stop an entire parade of people because a cute puppy is sitting in the road.  Assuming that in order for women to lead, they must act like men is a ridiculous assumption.  Women are just as powerful as men and the world should start to acknowledge that.  Who knows, in not giving women a chance to assume positions of power, they could be losing some unforgettable leaders.