Friday, April 27, 2007

What Michelle Said

Yes, a woman president would help right an age-old gender imbalance, but if you want to change the culture of politics, is one woman leader enough?

What would happen if women were the majority of all local and state governments. Right now women hold 14% of seats in the U.S. Senate. What if there were 86 women and just 14 men in the U.S. Senate?

Here's what Chile's new leader, President Michelle Bachelet, said last June as she explained why one-half of all her ministers, under-secretaries and regional officials were women:

“when there are a few women in politics, politics changes women, but when there
are many women, it is politics that change . . .. Today’s citizens want societies that
are more open, more diverse, and more inclusive. With more women in positions of
leadership, we will be able to advance that ideal. “