The Political Western Woman and Her Pantsuit

Women

are finally able to claim their place in the political arena. We have the fabulous Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Should Bush and Cheney die, she would be president! Of course Hilary Clinton is a political powerhouse, and was the first woman to run in the Democratic primaries for president. Condoleezza Rice is a genius, and our current woman secretary of state, being preceded by Madeleine Albright. On the international scene, Angela Merkel, the first woman chancellor of Germany, was named Forbes most powerful woman. Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, and Margaret Thatcher have all served as the heads of very powerful states. While many of these women have turned out to be more “masculine” in politics than their male counterparts to “make up” for being a woman, this is quite a positive development. Nonetheless, our Western female politicians are caught in a dreadful fashion rut. Unlike Gandhi, who was always seen in beautiful feminine Indian dresses, our female leaders are one note in their boring pant suits.

“But dresses are too feminine for Western politicians,” is the response I get whenever I mention something so sacrilegious in the United States. Well what’s wrong with feminine? Dresses can be powerful, and they are much more interesting than the power suits men wear.

Don’t get me wrong, there are fashionable pantsuits for women. Unfortunately Mrs. Clinton has yet to find one… she apparently only has eyes for Easter egg pastels! Nancy Pelosi is always dressed very stylishly. But would it be that unprofessional to wear a dress?

The real issue here seems to be a much more subtle form of sexism that still exists in our society. It is not OK to be feminine when posted to a position of power. Women have to be dressed like men, but not look so butch as to be a lesbian.

This must change! Women in power should be free to wear a professional dress that makes them feel and look fabulous. We have great examples from Southern Asia in the late Gandhi. We just need to Westernize it to make it relevant here, a task that has never proven difficult for this country.

Change is the theme of the current election. People are fed up with the way this country is run. A strong woman in a good-looking dress could be the catalyst for a long line of changes that need to be made. Call it superficial, but the symbolic power of a woman breaking free from the sexist norm could be the beginning of the next great social revolution!