Are Female Politicians Other-Centered?
By Carey Roberts (02/14/07)
A few years ago Marie Wilson, director of the White House Project, made the remarkable claim that female politicians lead "from an other-centered perspective," while those Neanderthal male pols tend to be "self-centered."
I admit this came as news to me, but if it’s true, perhaps we should dispense with the formalities and anoint Hillary as the next Commander-in-Chief. That way we can enjoy the morning newspaper for the next couple years without being subjected to all the electioneering falderal.
In the past, whenever the Women of Woe invoked the cause of female liberation, we were expected to reflexively nod our heads in rapt agreement. Maybe it’s time to put some of their pronouncements under the microscope.
So are female politicos, in fact, “other-centered”?
To answer that question, let’s pay a visit to the website of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues – that’s the group that’s been Nancy Pelosi constant cheerleader for all these years.
Problem is, the Women’s Caucus doesn’t have a website. These ladies’ ethics are so squeaky-clean there’s no need for transparency or accountability.
But persistence pays off, and I eventually discovered the “Report on Accomplishments of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues in the 108th Congress.” Surely this 56-page document would put the argument to rest whether the gentle-hearted gals are the more compassionate sex.
So let’s scan the table of contents. Hmmmm. Education and Athletics, International Women’s Issues, Violence Against Women, Women’s Health, Women’s History, Women in the Military, and Women in the Workplace.
Looks pretty one-sided to me. Maybe the other-centered stuff is buried inside.
So on page 14 I read, “A bipartisan effort by the Women’s Caucus leadership succeeded in tripling U.S. contributions for programs supporting women and girls overseas through the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).”
Fine, but what about needy boys around the world?
Like the teenage boys in Africa who have become night commuters so they aren’t kidnapped and pressed into military combat. And all the boys in Afghanistan who were sent out to tend the goat herd, only to lose a limb to unexploded ordinance. And the 2,000 young boys from Bangladesh taken from their homes to work as camel jockeys in the Persian Gulf -- are they less deserving of our compassion and largess?
The truth is, the Women’s Caucus comes across like any other narrow interest group, pretending the male half of the world doesn’t exist.
But let’s be fair. Maybe the ladies are simply making up for several millenia of neglect. The Congressional Men’s Caucus must be just as self-serving as the Women’s Caucus. Right?
Actually, there is no “Men’s Caucus.” Why? Because it never occurs to male politicians to single out men’s issues for special attention.
Look at the two major pieces of domestic legislation that the Daddy Party has enacted over the last 6 years: No Child Left Behind and the Medicare Drug Benefit. No Child Left Behind is designed to help children struggling to get an education in inner-city schools. And you guessed it, the Medicare Drug program predominantly benefits women.
In her acceptance speech as first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi proudly exclaimed, “Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling.”
As “Mimi” Pelosi spoke those words, her five grandsons were standing at her side with a slightly confused expression. The thought crossed my mind that compared to girls, her grandsons were at greater danger of having lower grades, falling behind in school, and never going to college.
One can only wonder whether the indelicate reality of our boys at risk has ever tweaked the conscience of Madame Speaker.
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