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©British Broadcasting Corporation 2023
bbclearningenglish.com
Page 2 of 5
NeilWomen in politics
©British Broadcasting Corporation 2023
bbclearningenglish.com
Page 2 of 5
Neil
I think the answer is 45 days.
Beth
OK, Neil. I’ll reveal the answer later. One of the biggest barriers for female
politicians is that politics has traditionally been seen as a man’s world. When
Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979, she had to manage a group of
men who were not used to being told what to do by a woman. Here, Professor
Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, explains
to BBC World Service programme, The Real Story, how Mrs Thatcher’s solution to
this problem was to appear more masculine.
Rosie Campbell
She was deliberately coached to change her voice and to behave in a way that was
more stereotypically masculine, at the same time as presenting herself, in terms
of her attire, in a very feminine way which really showed the tightrope she had to
walk in order to seem strong enough to be the leader, but not subverting norms
of what it is to be a woman. So I think, you know, whatever you might think of
Margaret Thatcher, that was a very challenging tightrope walk that she had to do.
Neil
Margaret Thatcher was coached to behave more like a man, for example by
lowering her voice. If you are coached, you are specially trained in how to improve
at a particular skill.
Beth
At the same time she was also advised to appear feminine, especially in her attire
– the clothes she wore. In trying to present both male and female sides of herself,
Mrs Thatcher walked a tightrope – an idiom meaning to be in a difficult situation
that requires carefully considered behaviour.
Neil
The point is that none of these demands were made of the men in Mrs Thatcher’s
government. Even today, the way women in politics behave or dress is commented
on and criticised far more than men, with the result that fewer women are willing
to expose themselves to public scrutiny – a situation which has only got worse
since the internet, and with it, sexist and misogynistic abuse on social media.
Beth
Paradoxically, it is often said that the qualities of empathy and understanding –
often associated with women – are most needed in politics today. According to
former prime minister Helen Clark, who was New Zealand’s first female elected
leader, it’s not just that women are more caring – they also bring a different
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