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These unstoppable women

JUST for the record, I am not a feminist. It not often that we get to celebrate the achievements made by women across the globe.

So this week I break the usual tradition and recognise women who have cracked the political glass ceiling by risking their guts in the 'mucky' business. I must point out that this article has been inspired by the return of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto's to mainstream politics and yesterday's election win of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the first female president of Argentina.

There are plenty of examples of women succeeding in traditionally male dominated professions, whether running a company, a large corporation or even a country. But I will however, limit this piece to politics alone since this is one area many women have shied away, owing to its dirty history.

To us, the women who have dared tread in the murky waters and cracked their way through are an immense inspiration and they send out a strong message that women too can make great leaders. Normally, when the so called feminists start talking about gender equality or girl power, men become cold.

But let's recognise the fact that were it not for these women activists, majority of women wouldn't be where they are today. When a 'gender' issue comes up, some men go 'come on, you've gotten too much already. What more do you want?'

Yes, we may have come a long way, but we still have a very long way to go before we have an equal share of the real power in this world. Granted, women in politics are making inroads around the world, but still these are just small victories. I know there are plenty of aggressive women in the political business.

But there are plenty more who fear the label of 'unladylike', which prevents them from making the tough decisions and rising to the top positions. I've given a few examples of women leaders from countries both large and small, who have blazed the trail. Some of them were elected, some were appointed, some were compromise candidates, some are highly controversial, while others are basking in the glory of their husbands’ popularity.

The new gal on the block is Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. She's been called the 'Latin Hillary Clinton,' but yesterday, Cristina made history like no other woman has in her country. CFK, as she's fondly known in Argentina, went from senator and being the country's first lady, to being the first female elected president. According to news reports, most Argentines agreed that she's the woman for the job. That's two cheers for the ladies.

Early this year, Pratibha Patil, India's first woman president, romped into power after winning a comprehensive election victory. Mrs Patil, 72, won nearly two-thirds of votes cast in state assemblies and in India's parliament. In her victory speech, Patil said her election will be a boost to millions of Indian women. I couldn't agree more.

In neighbouring Pakistan, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s October 18 return after about eight years in self-exile was bound to be a pivotal moment in Pakistani politics, and thus, also will likely to be a violent one. The people of Karachi turned out in huge numbers to greet Bhutto in an event marked by bomb attacks that left 136 people dead and many injured. She has however, vowed to fight Pakistan’s dissidents and go on with her campaign plans. You go gal...

In Africa, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard-educated economist and former World Bank official, waged a fierce presidential campaign against her male opponent and emerged victorious, last year. The war-torn country of Liberia made history by electing the first woman as head of state in modern African history.

In Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo has tried to work diligently on her governing platform, that includes the eradication of poverty, which helped her win re-election in 2004. Arroyo is a former classmate of Bill Clinton's at Georgetown University and a one time economics professor.

Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel's quiet but determined rise to the top of German politics shows that it's not necessarily a disadvantage to be underestimated by political opponents. She was not taken seriously for a long time by a large part of the Germans. Angela was lacking the attributes long associated with political success. She did not work through the ranks as a political foot soldier and had no support network of troops in key positions. But she still made it to the top.

Finally, people around the globe are watching with bated breaths to see whether the world's super power will crack its long held tradition and elect the first women president. The latest public opinion polls suggest US Senator Hillary Clinton is widening her lead for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination next year. Clinton's lead in the polls has grown in recent months, as the pace of the campaign gains speed.

In summary, many women work hard in the background to support male politicians, and this makes them lose out on the most visible, and most profitable positions. They are busy working for the cause. They are just not leading it. And this is what we want to break away from. Our successes pale in comparison to the number of men in political positions.

As stated earlier, the intention of this article is purely to see that women continue to get equal opportunities and support each other in every professional field, not just in politics. Questions of why there's still a glass ceiling for women in the upper echelons of power should not arise in these modern times.

Joyce Njeri is a Sub Editor with Khaleej Times. She can be reached at joyce@khaleejtimes.com