Archive for August 3rd, 2009
Sotomayor, Megawati, and Gender Politics
By Jennie S. Bev
Sonia Sotomayor made history when President Barack Obama nominated her as Supreme Court Judge for, if elected, she would be the first Latina to hold this position. Megawati Sukarnoputri also made history when she became Indonesia’s first female president after the removal of Abdurrahman Wahid from office. With Megawati running for another presidential election this year, both her and Sotomayor have the chance to make history in the milestones of world’s gender politics.
The question now is: how far women can make meaningful differences in the political arena while keeping the balance within patriarchial structure? What can female legislators and representatives and female presidential candidate do to rid the perpetuating misconceptions of “passive feminine,” “the other gender,” and “female stupidity”?
It is obsolete to keep a separation of men and women. It is time to transcend it, yet female leaders should be aware of what it takes to construct an elegant social structure that accommodates both sexes fairly. Read the rest of this entry »
