There’s a lot of talk about the damage mankind has done to earth. But really, for ‘mankind’ we should read ‘man’.
It’s the male of our species that’s done the bulk of the damage. This got me thinking. Can men be trusted to fix the damage done by men?
What would happen if women ruled the world? Does the word ‘rule’ set us on a course no better than the one set by men? Would ‘rule’ give us a world of warriors like Queen Zenobia?
Or would we create a better, fairer world?
Some of the great female leaders of history saw wrongs that they then righted.
Queen Victoria abolished slavery in British colonies.
Empress Theodora introduced anti-trafficking laws and fought for women’s rights.
Joan of Arc fought to repel English invaders. India’s Joan of Arc, Lakshmibai, led India’s first war of independence.
Austria’s Maria Theresa made education mandatory and supported the arts and scientific research.
Elizabeth 1 fostered the Renaissance.
Benazir Bhutto ended military dictatorship in Pakistan and fought for women’s rights.
Other women have been able to make the world a better place without being leaders.
Mother Theresa devoted her life to looking after those who had nobody to look after them.
Billy Jean King defeated sexism on the tennis court.
Princess Diana campaigned to abolish land mines.
Marie Stopes campaigned for women’s rights to sexual and romantic happiness in relationships.
Emmeline Pankhurst fought to give women a say in the laws that controlled them.
Kathrin Switzer ran for women’s right to run when she participated in the Boston Marathon.
Rosa Parks sat to end segregation.
Margaret Heafield wrote code to prove women had a place in male-dominated rocket science.
And so it goes.
If there were more women leading nations, we’d settle conflict with bridges, not walls.
If there were more women in boardrooms, decisions would consider the social impact, not just the bottom line.
If women made laws, women wouldn’t be victims. Women would be in control of their bodies.
If more women were allowed to achieve, they’d inspire more women to believe they can achieve.
Women are more attuned to feelings than men. They are more empathetic.
Women are better at connecting the dots, of seeing things holistically.
They are more inclined to build than destroy. They are more inclined to achieve peace by chatting than bombing.
They are less inclined to bully, to seek advantage over others. They are wired to nurture, welcome, feed and love.
They are more inclined to negotiate than retaliate.
They are less short-sighted. They see the need for sustainability.
They are less inclined to kill for fun. They are less inclined to kill. Full stop.
I envy women for what they could achieve. I pray for the day when they rule, guide and shape the world.
I am not a woman. But, in a way, I wish I were.
Photo by Eloise Ambursley via Unsplash
