Mad Libs: Women in Politics

FP asked top female politicians around the world to fill in the blanks on sexism, women leaders, and breaking the glass ceiling.

MAY/JUNE 2012

Foreign Policy

THE MOST SEXIST COUNTRY IS…

Afghanistan. —Reem Badran, Mabruka Sharif Jibril, Paula Teixeira da Cruz • Russia. —Ilze Vinkele • Benin, followed by Saudi Arabia. —Mimoza Kusari-Lila • Saudi Arabia. —Donya Aziz • Iran. —Elizabeth Ativie, Valérie Pécresse, Lydia Shouleva • Any country in which women are objectified and not treated equally in terms of political, social, and economic opportunities. —María Antonieta de Bográn • Muslim countries in general. —Maria Fekter

THE MOST SEXIST LEADER IN THE WORLD IS…

Silvio Berlusconi. —Maria Fekter, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Valérie Pécresse, Paula Teixeira da Cruz • Vladimir Putin. —Ilze Vinkele • Those in South Africa and Muslim countries. —Lydia Shouleva • Any leader who is pulling little girls out of schools. That is the worst violation. —Winnie Byanyima

THE MOST INTERESTING WOMAN LEADER TO WATCH IS…

Dilma Rousseff. —María Antonieta de Bográn, Maria Fekter, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. —Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah • Leymah Gbowee, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Tawakkol Karman. —Leila de Lima • Hillary Clinton. —Elizabeth Ativie, Mabruka Sharif Jibril, Yoko Komiyama, Sanja Vlahovic • Angela Merkel. —Margarita Popova, Ilze Vinkele • Christine Lagarde. —Winnie Byanyima • Aung San Suu Kyi. —Joelle Milquet, Mu Sochua, Lena Maryana Mukti, Valérie Pécresse, Paula Teixeira da Cruz

THE GLASS CEILING IN POLITICS WILL BE BROKEN WHEN…

An incompetent woman can hold the same position as an incompetent man can now. —Maria Fekter • Both men and women truly believe in equality. —Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah • We understand that women are the mothers of every man. —Atifete Jahjaga • There is a female U.S. president, a female secretary-general of the United Nations, and a female World Bank president at the same time. —Mimoza Kusari-Lila • The only basis for advancement is merit. —Penny Wong • The intellectual culture changes. —Mabruka Sharif Jibril • We all have the real courage to denounce violations against women's human rights. —Mu Sochua • Political financing is fair, and women's quotas are introduced in countries where there is a significant gender gap in politics. —Oyungerel Tsedevdamba • Half the world's leaders are women. —Ilze Vinkele • No more quotas are needed to counter the imbalance. —Lydia Shouleva • We stop counting how many female leaders there are. —Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE WOMEN LEADERS BECAUSE…

They are smarter, more emotional, and more cautious than men. —Ilze Vinkele • They can multitask. —María Antonieta de Bográn • Women are intuitive, flexible, and rational. —Sanja Vlahovic • Women's experiences as mothers, daughters, wives, as well as employees, businesswomen, and community leaders, often make us uniquely qualified to address the issues facing our families. —Nita Lowey • We can only make it a better place for our children if we tap into the talents of all people, men and women alike. —Kristalina Georgieva • Those who are suffering most from war and poverty are women and their children. —Carolyn Rodrigues-Burkett • They'll change the whole picture, specifically in terms of peace. —Mabruka Sharif Jibril • As Stendhal said, "The admission of women to perfect equality would … double the intellectual forces of mankind." —Joelle Milquet • The world is in desperate need of great leaders! —Anabel González • This is their natural right given by God; they represent half of society. —Atifete Jahjaga