DISGRUNTLED to read the news regarding my alma mater (NUST) which reported ‘girls fined for wearing jeans’, I was tossed up to pen down my opinion on the issue. However, instead of debating on the issue, let’s assess how the women in the world are rising up as a flamboyant force that is ready to lead in the coming years.

The opening of discussion takes me to Europe, where Angela Merkel has recently been elected as Chancellor of Germany, third time in a row, with an ‘absolute majority.’ Widely acclaimed as ‘the most powerful woman’ of the world, the Germans reposed full confidence in her ‘safe pair of hands.’

In spite of the Euro crisis that led to the loss of offices to most of the leaders of Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and France, Angie rules firm in her offices because of her ‘austerity’ measures, that were acclaimed not only at home but also in entire Europe.

When the rest of Europe struggled with the economic crunch, loss of jobs to millions and rising financial strain, her economic policy provided stability to Germany even in such a burgeoning crisis. That’s the reason that when ‘she speaks, the whole Europe listens’ and that’s the reason that people have put full confidence in her, and she’s all set to gain the title of the ‘Longest serving female leader’, overtaking Margaret Thatcher in Europe, provided she stays till 2016, which is very likely in the prevailing circumstances.

Another woman, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, has shown excessive courage while addressing the UN Assembly. She bluntly attacked the US National Security Agency on the floor of the Assembly for espionage charges.

The NSA has come under severe criticism throughout the world, after the revelations by its ex-security expert Snowden, who revealed the worldwide surveillance programme of the US.

According to his ‘leaked’ reports, the US has been collecting not only the personal information of citizens, but also actively monitoring their commercial giants, notwithstanding the eavesdropping of their personal email account.

In the wake of these events, the woman, not taking US economic or political powers into consideration, launched a blistering attack against the US in the General Assembly. Not to forget that she has already put on hold her meeting with President Obama later in October for the aforementioned strife. True, our strong countrymen need wide courage and boldness to act like she did.

The two incidents mentioned above are the epoch of the rising trend that I have witnessed in recent years. Not to forget here the rise of women in Pakistan: for I’ve personally seen our women much more courageous, much more hard-working, focused and sincere in their jobs than their male counterpart in my alma-matter.

I personally feel that if placed higher in hierarchy, the women are bound to perform much better than men. But that can only be proved by evidence once experimented.

We’re not far away when the sole superpower will be led by a woman: Hilary Clinton’s willingness and Michelle Obama’s remark earlier in the year that America is ready for a ‘female president’ would certainly be the dawn of a new era, the world led by a woman.

On a lighter note, Obama’s recent conviction that he quit smoking because he ‘is scared of his wife’ does affirm the fact that even today it’s being led by a woman?

MUHAMMAD HARIS
Islamabad