Go Kamala!

Posted by Barbara on July 22, 2024 in Black lives matter, Blog, feminism, Politics, Women's equality issues | 2 comments

There are moments when I review damesnet’s rather limited readership numbers and genuinely ask myself whether what we are doing is worthwhile.  Inevitably, and somehow it always seems immediately, someone emails/posts/comments on how much they like our blogs.

Actually, one of the best things about carrying on with this is the amount I am personally discovering.  Whether it is the background to a hitherto ignored author, artist, scientist, explorer, doctor or whatever, the achievements of women, particularly those who came before me, are astounding.  I personally have never felt that my gender was obstructing things I wanted to do with my life, but those dames who battled with the patriarchy in the centuries leading up to the 20^th had a very high mountain to climb.

Which is not to say that the 124 years since the beginning of the 20^th century have been a shining example of parity between the sexes.  I am writing this just after Biden has stepped down as Presidential candidate and has endorsed Kamala Harris as Democratic candidate.  I remember Trump and Hilary Clinton doing a televised debate before the 2016 elections, and I watched with disgust as he prowled around the stage, physically taking up as much space as possible and doing his best to shrink the physical area she could command. I am already reflecting how Harris might handle a similar situation and wish her the very best, and suggest that the sisterhood refrain from judgment till they have seen how she rises to the occasion in her new front facing role. As for the male half of US society – well, no suggestions, just observations as to how so many of them are likely to behave.

I am also reminded of the time in 2007 when Angela Merkel met with Vladimir Putin to discuss energy supplies, and yes I am not going to digress and share my thoughts as to what could have been done at this point. Instead let’s remember that Putin arranged for his black labrador to be brought into the room. Now he knew that Merkel was afraid of dogs, having been bitten by one. Apparently Putin sat back and enjoyed the moment, legs spread wide. ‘I’m sure it will behave itself,’ he is reported to have said, manspreading to reinforce his control of the situation.

Later, Merkel interpreted Putin’s behaviour. ‘I understand why he has to do this — to prove he’s a man,’ she told a group of reporters. ‘He’s afraid of his own weakness. Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. All they have is this.’  There you have it in a nutshell.  Now how many women act in a similar fashion ‘to prove they’re a woman’?  While I am in no way suggesting that women can’t be bullies, I somehow feel that demonstrating oneself as aggressive is not the default for quite as many women as for men.

So to male damesnet readers, you may well not be aware of the control some of you exert, but please check it out as a thought.  And as for Kamala Harris, just as we have the first female Chancellor in the UK, could it just be possible that the US might elect a female President of colour?