As we seek solutions for living with this pandemic, we can take comfort in remembering that it is women who are the best problem-solvers. Look at the countries that are handling the Covid-19 crisis the best. They are headed by women. (Think Germany, New Zealand, Norway) It’s in our genetic makeup to problem solve. I am not bragging but it is true that women are better in times of crisis.
With this in mind, we turn our attention to the fact that we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ratified on August 18, 1920).
The 19th Amendment states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
What is interesting to note is that the original Constitution is gender-neutral.According to the Heritage Guide to the Constitution , “The word ‘male’ did not even appear in the Constitution until the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868.” In 1869, Wyoming became the first territorial government to allow women to vote.
But it was never an easy run as there was a strong Anti-Suffrage Movement that was significantly supported by women. In particular, Kate Shippen Roosevelt of the Theodore Roosevelt clan was part of the upper-middle class conservative Protestants who believed that “women were biologically destined to be child bearers and homemakers.” The Anti-Suffragists believed that it would be going “against the laws of nature” to change the status quo. Today, it is hard to believe that women fought against the right to be treated equally.
Change is never simple or easy. Yet here we are trying to adapt to a world of masks and social distancing and seeking answers to how the future will look.
We see women coming forward to problem solve how we will live in this changed world. It is not easy as women are finding themselves being put in the position of caregivers and teachers for part home schooling and, for many women, also working to keep a career on track.
Is it “feminine qualities” — empathy, compassion, listening and collaboration that will make a difference in how we manage to live in this new world?
What we are seeing is that the challenges we face moving forward make require a paradigm shift, one that calls for a new kind of leadership. This may mean that our virtual world will become more gender-balanced as female values prove to be successful in finding solutions and managing the complexities of our unsettled culture.
According to the academic online publication, The Conversation,
“challenges of the 21st century call for a new type of leadership, different from that based on command and control. These challenges include climate change, health, the environment, the depletion of the Earth’s resources, the aging population and the shortage of talent, the virtual management of production and employee contributions and the development of new technologies.”
This new leadership model will require “resilience, courage, flexibility, listening, empathy, collaboration, caring and recognition of collective contribution.” And these are the principal characteristics of traditionally feminine management.
Take heart. We will come out of this and meet the challenges of the 21st century thanks to the patience, mindfulness and collaborative spirit of women.
Stay safe and well.
Lucy and Claudia