Positive discrimination

Women still have a long way to go to achieve equality with men in key positions, such as government and managerial posts. In some societies, this can be due to mentalities which view women in a lesser degree citing examples that they can’t take risk or firm decisions. The other handicap facing them is the discrimination in education making it difficult for them to compete with men to get key jobs.

It is still news today when a female president is elected. In USA primary elections, the Democrats have raised a lot of interest because Hilary Clinton is the first American women to enter the presidential contest.

There are countries like Saudi Arabia where it is still hard to imagine a female minister as women there are still battling for rights taken for granted in other Muslim countries like driving, or travelling unaccompanied. In this country, a woman can’t set up a project without having a male tutor. Recently a Saudi businesswoman was arrested because of being in a café with one of her aids with whom she was discussing her financial affairs. In this country, it is likely that the percentage of company female directors will remain 0% for some time to come.

What can make women reach key positions at an equal rate with men is their ability to be assertive and to have the qualifications to assume their high responsibilities. As for men, they should come to terms with the fact that one’s worth isn’t through gender but through mental assets. Some societies have been revolutionised a great deal. Maybe one day we’ll hear of female army generals. Female heads of states and prime ministers will be commonplace in the majority of the parts of the world. Maybe in this case, the roles will be reversed and men will start asking for more rights as those they have inherited from their male ancestors have been eroded by the unstoppable aggressive advances of women in every field to the tops of all ladders in society.