Madame Justice Paula Mae Weekes has been instated unopposed to the position of President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and many are praising the nation’s open-mindedness in that regard.
T&T has already experienced a female Prime Minister, a female Attorney General, and a female Leader of the Opposition, all posts held by Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar. And now with a female Head of State joining the ranks, our tiny island republic may be deemed more inclusive and progressive than the United States of America, which has never had significant female leadership throughout its centuries-old existence as a country.
Women are certainly capable of effectively leading a nation. Just look at Angela Merkel who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and is often touted as the “most powerful woman in the world”. While our own President might not have the same magnitude of command or level of global importance, there is still a considerable measure of power and prestige at play.
So what exactly differentiates a female’s reign from her male counterpart’s in any sphere, from politics to the corporate environment? It all has to do with the fundamental traits of our respective genders and how these details of our core make-up translate into thinking and problem-solving.
Benefits of Female Leadership
In this regard, men and women have varying strengths and weaknesses. Here are some strengths that females possess, from a biological standpoint, that contribute to their capabilities as leaders.
- Women can see the bigger picture. Females use both hemispheres of the brain when focusing on a particular topic, whereas men’s brains are prone to favouring whichever hemisphere is specifically wired for the task at hand. This means that, generally, more women can contextualise concepts and plans within a broader scope than most men. Thus, a female leader might be better at strategising holistic measures for improvement.
- Women are more socially conscious and community oriented. This isn’t to say that all women are gregarious or even to imply that all men are anti-social. Females, however, tend to be better at amassing and overseeing a team, and more adept at managing several people simultaneously. Some biologists think this has to do with the traditional role of women as housekeepers and as the central figure in charge of most familial matters.
- Women are better communicators and empathisers. Females have long had a stigma against them of being too “talkative”, but this trait is not necessarily an annoyance depending on the person’s character. Women have the ability to express their feelings and emotions in more depth verbally than men. They also have a greater capacity for picking up on the feelings and emotions of others. Therefore, women are more inclined to spur dialogue that takes into account the needs of all parties involved, which could lead to more productive outcomes.
While the traits listed may not apply to all women, one could ascertain that a person who has propelled herself to the post of President without opposition in all likelihood possesses each one.
Therefore, we at LIFEINTRINIDAD extend our congratulations to Ms. Paula Mae Weekes and wish her all the best during her tenure as T&T’s Head of State.
