The MBTI is extensively used for leadership development training and coaching in companies all over the world. Based on psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of personality types, for more than 50 years it has been the most widely used psychometric instrument for understanding normal personality differences.

How does the MBTI work?

The MBTI identifies your natural preferences in four areas or dichotomies:

1.Where you get your energy from

Extraversion(E) the external world of people, activities and things; or Introversion (I) the inner world or ideas and experiences

2. How you take in information

Sensing (S) a focus on facts and present reality; or Intuition (N) a focus on patterns and future possibilities

3.How you make decisions

Thinking (T) using objective logic; or Feeling(F) subjective and values based

4.Preferred lifestyle

Judging(J) Planned, organised, liking things settled; or Perceiving(P) Flexible, spontaneous, keeping options open

This yields 16 possible personality type combinations.

Is there a “Leadership Type”?

It is simplistic to label any one category as a “leader type,” for various reasons

1.We are more than our personality type. The MBTI does not measure factors such as intellectual ability, emotional intelligence, or skill level – all of which would impact on a person’s potential for leadership.

2. Different types have different strengths, all of which can be important in a leadership role.

3. We are not “boxed in” by our type. MBTI theory holds that whilst our underlying type does not change, as we mature we develop the non preferred parts of our personality and so become equipped with a wider choice of behaviours. This development is both a natural process and something which we can cultivate consciously.

Interestingly however, research across different countries has consistently shown that Thinking and Judging (TJ) types are the most frequently occurring in managers and leaders. Kirby, 1997 notes that because these types are so prevalent, it may be that “Thinking and Judging behaviours have become the accepted definition of what it means to lead, and therefore, people displaying these behaviours are seen as ‘leadership material.’”

Leadership strengths associated with Thinking-Judging include a focus on creating order, structures and processes, use of logical reasoning to analyse problems, and an emphasis on competence and efficiency. However there are also potential weaknesses such as limiting creativity and flexibility, failing to include and consult with others, and a tendency to rush decisions.

It is therefore clearly unwise for any organisation to rely too heavily on a TJ management or leadership culture; fortunately this beginning to be more recognised.

What does this mean for women?

It’s significant. Thinking – Feeling (T or F) is in fact the only dichotomy which shows a gender bias. Women are more likely to report as Feeling types (75% ). In part this may be due to pressure to conform to what is considered socially desirable.

The implications for women aspiring to leadership positions within predominantly TJ organisations are obvious. According to type theory, people are most effective and fulfilled when they have identified and developed their natural strengths. In an environment which rewards TJ skills, women with different preferences may not have been given the opportunity to develop their own natural leadership style.

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So how can I use personality type theory to help me be a better leader?

First, take the MBTI questionnaire with an accredited practitioner to establish your MBTI type. Once you understand your type, you can apply your learning as follows:

1. Seek opportunities which will allow you to use your strengths. If you are a Feeling type, you may find these in Human Resources, Training and Development, or client facing roles where people skills are important. But remember any type can do anything – do not feel limited by your type.

2.Recognise that the goal of healthy type development is to acquire a repertoire of skills which you can draw on as appropriate; so work on your least preferred areas as well.

3.Identify the dominant organisational culture (likely to be TJ) and work on developing your skills in these areas, particularly if these are your least preferred behaviours.

Above all, use your new knowledge as a framework for understanding and appreciating colleagues’ viewpoints and behaviour. Through understanding others you greatly increase your capacity for influence – as Blanchard states “the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”

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Sarah Cooper is a career coach who specialises in working with people who want to follow their passions, express their creativity or help people or society in some way. Sarah worked as a solicitor, then as a marketing manager in the voluntary sector before defining her own ideal work. Kick start your new life by signing up to Sarah’s FREE mini e-course 5 Keys to Finding Freedom By Doing What You Love at http://www.cowsfrommywindow.com

There are two schools concerning leadership, with age old arguments, with both sides citing history as their proof.

One school says leaders are born and the other says leaders are products of the environment. Which school is correct?

Does it matter if you find yourself suddenly in a leadership role? Here is what to do if you do.

The Genetic / Dynastic School of Leadership

This school is certain that leaders are born, either due to genetic superiority or by their position in a dynastic situation.

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Born leaders, i.e. those who men (and women) following willingly, even into death, are men like Julius Cesar, Alexander, Charles 12th of Sweden, and looking at the mid-20th century, Churchill, and Roosevelt. The proponents of this school feel that the leader’s DNA and situation of birth (into a dynasty) make them into natural leaders.

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The Chance School (of Environment School) of Leadership

This school is certain that leaders are products of the environment and fit into a role they are conditioned for. Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin are two good examples, but there are others, many if one looks to even the current group of world leaders. Many were never leaders till the environment provided a certain set of correct conditions.

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If you are suddenly thrown into a leadership role, even without seeking it, what do you? How do you become a good leader? And what is a good leader?

Good Leader

This is a value judgment, but a good leader would be one in which men follow willingly, give their respect, and trust. The good leader leads men to the goal of overall betterment of the current situation, and is protective of those who follow him (her).

The fastest way to become a good leader is to find some system of goal fulfillment (The Desyatnikov Method for example), and start following it. This would strengthen your own values and qualities. A good leader must first of all know where and how he is leading.

Secondly, a good leader must embody those qualities which he expects in others. You must be the role model and example. How many generals lead their men into battle, risking their own lives along with that of their men? Many, and many are well known today. Their courage and commitment made their leadership valid.

If you are suddenly put into a leadership position, and are lost for ideas on how to use your power, simply recall to yourself those qualities you admired in others you followed. This is a best guide for you at the start.

Leadership is a sparse commodity, as there are few leaders and many followers. Do not lose your humility. This will act as a shield against the slander and affronts that will sure come to you, as they do to every leader.

Lastly, embody the quality of direct honesty. Be direct, and be honest, with yourself and those who follow you. Only respect and admiration come from these two endearing qualities when embodied by a leader.

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Mary Anne Wampler, co-owner of Transform, Inc. introduces the Enneagram at The Women’s Leadership Program in Alexandria, VA. The Enneagram is a powerful self development tool that accelerates leadership development and positions organizations for increased success.

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On all aspects of self improvement and more on leadership visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

An outsider, studying our culture from the headlines on business and news magazines, might wonder what all the fuss is about. Women wanted the top jobs, then they got them, then they didn’t want them anymore. Men wanted to keep women out, then they thought that becoming more feminine would give them a competitive advantage, then they got tough and ruthless all over again. Now women are nearly as ubiquitous as men in the middle management ranks, and there are enough women making an impact at the “C” level that no one can label them token representatives anymore. But while things may look slightly better in terms of numbers, something is still not quite right below the surface. Male or female, gender isn’t supposed to matter in the corporate setting anymore. So how come the bulk of the research out there points to the same ugly problems concerning women in leadership?

You see, ever since the industrial revolution — or at least the 1930s — the organization had been markedly masculine. The dominant “mechanical school” of organizational theory, for example, was founded on such ideas as centralized authority, specialization and expertise, division of labor, principles, rules, and regulations. The emerging organization, however, was more feminine in gender because it was characterized by collaboration, the delegation of authority, empowerment, trust, openness, concern for the whole person, an emphasis on interpersonal relations, and the inevitability of interdependence. The type of organization that would appear to be the perfect platform for what Dr. Lois Frankel calls the “feminization of leadership”. In her instructive book, See Jane Lead (2007), Frankel states that women have always lead, but not in ways that were valued or recognized in the old, mechanical school. Women, it would seem, were finally in the right place at the right time

So Soft It’s Hard

With a flattened organizational structure, and a knowledge economy that put a premium on such feminine characteristics as collaboration, trust and sensitivity, it was only a matter of time before some social psychologist decided to start grooming men in a new way. After all these years, men were now told that hard skills were not really that important when it came to leadership. Technical attributes were like tool belts; they could be picked up at the hardware store when needed, and strapped on to suit the task at hand. Being smart was way less important than being emotionally intelligent.

According to writers like Daniel Goleman, women have emotional intelligence in spades. All that time spent chatting instead of getting to the crux of important issues? That was really about bonding, openness, sharing, empathy, building rapport, and trust. How about the need to consult everyone in the organization from the boss to the janitor before making an important decision? That was all about consensus building, alignment, and seeing the issue from multiple perspectives.

During the boom years, it seemed to work. Productivity was high, stock prices rose, new markets emerged and old markets got bigger and more profitable. Maybe this business of the organization and leadership becoming feminine wasn’t so bad after all? Then the bubble burst, the economy contracted, and long-range projections for growth fell off a cliff. Time to baton down the hatches. After all, when the going gets tough the tough get going.

That’s when women started to reconsider what I call “ROL”, or Return on Leadership.

Who’s Sorry Now?

When the going got tough, a lot of women decided they didn’t want to be any tougher. All of that slaving for the big bucks, working yourself to the bone, ripping the fabric of your family and personal life to shreds . . . maybe it just wasn’t worth it; the ROL was in the “red” for many talented women. The headlines on those business and news magazines said it all. Women Aren’t In The Corner Office, They Don’t Want Power, They’re Opting Out . . . magazines like Fortune, FastCompany, and the New York Times Magazine exclaimed. Warren Farrell’s taboo-busting book, Why Men Earn More, laid it out straight: women tend to put in less time than men, working fewer hours; and, statistically, people who work 44 hours a week make almost twice as much as those who work 34 hours. As a result, women still comprise fewer than 2% of Fortune 1000 CEO’s and just 7.9% of Fortune 500 top earners. As an article in the Wall Street Journal (10/24/05) pointed out, the reasons are many; “women hit their prime child bearing years at the same time they are most pressured to prove themselves at work; they are reluctant to put in the 80-hour work week and globe trotting required for the corner office; they are too concentrated on staff positions like HR and marketing, where they never learn P&L responsibility; and they don’t have informed mentoring and networking opportunities, like golfing with the guys. These theories belie a consistent finding in the research — there is little difference between the leadership abilities of successful male and female bosses. Carol Hymowitz of the WSJ hit it right on the head when she states, “the big problem is both sexes believe their own biased perceptions more than they believe [the facts].” To be sure, I, and a number of researchers, realize that women still face an inherent bias in or society, adding to the challenges that Alice Eagly and Linda Carli describe in their HBR article (September 2007) Women and The Labyrinth of Leadership. In the language of psychologists, they state that the clash is between two sets of associations: “communal and agentic”. Women are still associated with communal traits, which denote compassion and affection, whereas men are associated with agentic, or dominant, self reliant, and confident traits; core to the traditional notion of leadership.

For all of these reasons and theories, research organizations like Catalyst claimed that women were leaving Fortune 500 companies at an astounding 1400 women per day rate. Where they were going was anyone’s guess, but given the level of heated discussion over the issue of work-life balance, we can imagine that they were sick of the grind. Maybe power wasn’t worth it? Maybe the glass ceiling was more like plexiglas protection around a violent hockey game? Or maybe the women are not getting the intellectual stimulation they need, or, as a May 1, 2005 article in the New York Times decided, they are just bored. (”Behind the Exodus of Executive Women: Boredom.”)

Frankly, many men are beginning to analyze their ROL as well, and coming to the same conclusions that apparently many women have come too. In a study conducted by Burson and Marsteller, in 2001, 27% of Senior Executives said they are not interested in becoming CEO. In 2005, over 60% said they are not interested. I would only assume that this percentage has risen significantly again in the last two years.

On The Folly of Hoping For “A” While Rewarding “B”

The true nature of our problem, in my opinion, is explained best in Steve Kerr’s famous essay, “On the Folly of Hoping for ‘A’ While Rewarding ‘B’.” Kerr described a common problem in HR development initiatives. We say we want “X” but we persist in rewarding “Y.” Consider the case of the feminization of leadership. A whole generation of leaders — men and women alike — were developed on the notion that sensitive, caring, coalition-building characteristics would lead to success. Open your arms, give your employees a big hug, explain everything they ever wanted to know about your motivations and underlying objectives, empower them, set them free, and they will perform for you at unprecedented levels, thereby securing your ultimate goals. It’s a win-win-win situation.

Does it work like that in the real world? Well, as Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”

In the real world, leadership is not always most effective when it is most caring, open, transparent, sensitive and empowering. In fact, fear, manipulation, ruthlessness, power-hoarding and the competitive will to win at all costs are common characteristics of our best, and most effective leaders. While that may not sound very warm and fuzzy, it cannot be ignored. The organization may have become more feminine in structure and culture at the dawn of the knowledge era; but business results remain unabashedly male. Leadership may have softened in the last decade, but getting to the top, and staying there once you’ve made it, remains a tough, hard, ruthless, and overtly political act.

It isn’t pretty to think so; but it’s real.

In the Final Analysis

Is leadership gender neutral, or does gender matter? Are men better at the leadership thing in practice, or do women have better leadership attributes in theory?

I think we will be debating these questions for centuries to come. But for the record, as far as the skill side of the leadership equation, I (and many other researchers) think women do have the edge. The differentiator appears to be on the will side of the equation. This is why I plainly state in my by book, The Taboos of Leadership, that women do make better leaders, when that’s what they really want to do. The important point, however, is that all leaders, prospective leaders, and followers — men and women alike — need to understand the true nature of leadership. It’s messy. It’s not clean cut. Some characteristics work in some situations. But to put our head in the sand, and wish the ugly side away will cause us to fail.

I think that men and women could learn a lot from each other about leadership if they could talk about the elephant in the room. Women have all of the tools to be leaders. So do men. We all have different tools in different balances; and we all need to lean on some strengths over others, or compensate for weaknesses.

A Few Presumptuous Considerations for Women (and Men)

Remember that leadership isn’t the only noble and worthy pursuit in an organization. I hear the rhetoric too that everyone “can and should” be a leader. I think this is so widely accepted because very few understand what leadership really is. Being excellent and great at what you do doesn’t always translate into becoming a leader; we can’t forget that some of the greatest individuals in history had a significant impact in life without being a “leader.” I think we would be better off if everyone believed that they “can and should be” a productive, wonderful, compassionate, loving human being.

If you have pursued becoming a leader, and your ROL is in the red, consider “Quitting”. I highly recommend Seth Godin’s new book entitled, The Dip; A Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). He states that when you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle, “maybe you are in the “dip” — a temporary setback that you can overcome if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.” He goes on to say that “believe or not, quitting is often a great strategy, a smart way to manage your life and your career.”

Consider “Entrepreneur” Leadership instead of “Corporate” Leadership. I know it sounds easy, but the challenges that one encounters in building their own business may be less demanding and less restrictive than trying to climb the corporate ladder. In many corporations, getting to the “top” requires that you prove you can develop, run, grow, and lead a team or organization to profitability; why not do the same for your self instead of a Fortune 500 company and all it’s shareholders?

Break the Taboo of Discussing Gender in the Workplace. If women are only talking to other women about the struggles of leadership, and men are only talking to other men about “women” leaders, progress will continue to be slow. In Eagly and Carli’s HBR article referenced earlier, they state that women have traditionally “underinvested” in social capital. They cite a study that suggests that social capital is even more necessary to a managers advancement than “the skillful performance of traditional managerial tasks.” Let me emphasize that the “social networks” need to comprise both men and women if greater understanding (and thus, appreciation) among the sexes is to be achieved. Women have traditionally complained that ‘breaking” into the “good ole’ boy’s” network meant that they learn to play golf, drink Scotch, and have an occasional lunch at Hooters. Let me just state plainly; if these are the mores of the leadership within the company you want to advance in, you probably do need to learn “to play the game.” Let me also state that this applies as much to men as to women. I have coached several male executives over the years who were faced with the same challenge, and who opposed going to Hooter’s, hated golf, and preferred Chardonnay over Scotch . . . and my counsel was the same for them . . . learn the game or find an organization that more closely reflects your values, hobbies, and preferences.

Make it known that it’s your intent to become a leader in your organization. So many men and women alike engage in what I call “hinting and hoping” around their aspiration to become a leader. When a female partner let us know that she wanted to become a leader in our firm, and that she also intended on having a family, we were all able to help her manage her “path to partner” much more effectively than if we all would have waited around and second guessed one another about the “what if’s?” There were no surprises; we, the leaders in the firm, did not sit around and wonder if she was planning on leaving once she became pregnant, and we committed to providing feedback, coaching and mentoring, all focused around what she needed to do to become partner. Remember, if you have the skill and will to lead, and you make it known, you may find much greater support, which may even accelerate your path to leadership.

Copyright © 2007 Anthony F. Smith

Anthony Smith is Co-Founder and a Managing Director of Leadership Research Institute and author of The Taboos of Leadership: 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You about Leaders and What They Really Think (Jossey-Bass, May 2007).

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WOMEN in BUSINESS

The Greatest Day in History…

Today is the greatest day in the history of the world! That statement sounds optimistic because it sounds promising and it feels good to say it. That statement is often said in the context of today being the first day of the rest of your life and one is appreciative. Such appreciation should never go unattended, as it is real. However that statement is not a statement at all nor is it optimistic. “Today is the greatest day in the history of the world” is not a proclamation of promise. It’s a declaration of truth. The history of the world has been one of women’s suppression and struggle and though that still continues, today is better than any other day before. Today, women have power unlike never before and the power grows. Power is not something someone gives you; power is something one must take. Women have taken this power and by way of reasonable measures. Aristotle believed that at his best, man is the most noblest of all animals but separated from law and justice, he is the worst. Women can never be separated from the laws of nature because it’s their birthright and their gift. Women can never be separated from justice because justice begins with the woman. Women have been the victims of misguided laws and malicious injustice. Today, women have the power to impact the laws and levy justice where justice does not exist. In a civilized society, just laws must not only be prevalent, they must prevail. When women prevail in a society, all those in that society will profit and the society will prevail.

Oftentimes when the subject of women in business is discussed, comparisons with men are made as if men are the barometer for business. This is a false perception and false too is the language. Business is not an entity separated from life; it is an entity encompassed by life. The definitions of a business consists of a line of work, to work, a profession, a job, a trade, a position, a vocation, a field, a calling and a career. Before today, societies around the globe have claimed that women didn’t work and therefore couldn’t understand the parameters of “formal” business. This misconception rivals some the largest platitudes in history: the near-sighted earth is flat, the purposeful stork delivers babies and the perforated theory of evolution. The business world has presented itself to women as if it spoke a foreign language on an uncharted map. But the truth is that the language is fabricated and the world of business operates in a land not unknown to women. By definition, everything women do and have always done is in fact a business. Women have labored the child, harvested the crop, fed the hungry, nursed the needy and educated the willing. All of those are jobs, careers, trades, vocations and callings. Women aren’t new to business; they’re only new to the financial rewards.

Today, more than ever, women are in the workplace and now own the workplace. Women have always been established in business but now they are in business for profit by way of monetary means. Today over 10 million businesses are owned or controlled by women and those businesses account for over two (2) trillion dollars in sales. That’s an astounding number and a resounding accomplishment when all considerations are factored. This doesn’t come as a result of women learning anything new. This is a manifestation of who women already are: industrious, innovative, instinctive and intelligent. The traits of women are not to be compared with that of men, just shared in composition of a more productive and progressive society. Every household around the world that houses women, women manage and most commonly manage well. The interactive and intuitive management style of women is a prerequisite to a thriving business and a productive workplace environment. Women-owned businesses employ almost 20 million people and steadily rising. No matter the financial compensations, people want to work in a place where they are wanted and needed. People want to feel like they’re doing something that matters and their input is valuable. This is the difference between the cold walls of a house structure and the warmth of a fruitful home. Business isn’t cold but people in business can be and therefore the stigma attaches. Inanimate objects and entities have no control over the animate. That’s an abdication of responsibility and excuse for not executing the social graces where civility and industry must meet. And in the world of accountability, there can be no room for excuses.

There was a time not long ago when any man in a three-piece suit could qualify for a business loan. Those times are no more, as much money was lost and many laws were circumvented. The measures applied in today’s market are far more reasonable and more accessible to female entrepreneurs. Commercial lenders and Venture Capitalists want to see that the company has done its research in that respective field. It’s important for them to know that you have experience in this area of expertise. Another major factor will be how you intend to market the product and what the infrastructure of the company is. As you design your company, research successful companies already in that industry, introduce yourselves to other women in business and network to assist each other. Those around you that make claims of what you can’t do must be excluded from your conversations, so that you may focus on the task at hand. Whether you are single, a single mother or married, taking advantage of free enterprise is the way to independence and interdependence. The success in business that any male has experienced is not because males possess some superior trait over women; it’s because men have been the only players. Women can compete in any and every business. It’s just a matter of choice and now that choice is yours.

There are many mechanics that will need to be considered but every business is unique and few guidelines are universal. Business plans that include collateral will always have a greater chance for success. If you can include real estate in your proposal, then do so. If your credit or assets are not substantial, then you may design a plan that provides for security such as inventory and a schedule that may include factoring. There are options available such as equipment leasing and accounts receivables that will keep your company flexible with capital reserves. Each business plan must be specifically designed to suit your needs and the company’s industry and location. No one can make these determinations but you and no one can adequately assist you without full disclosure. Explore your options and enlist the services of someone who understands you and your needs.

In business, the blueprint for success has zero to do with gender and everything to do with characteristics. The number one reason most people don’t start a business is not because of a lack of money but a conceptual fear. For one to operate a successful business, they must first define what success is in their own terms. The sole reason why the numbers of women-owned businesses aren’t more reflective of the population is because they haven’t been encouraged to do and supported when doing so. It’s been a blight on the world community and a recessive gene to societal growth. Today we see women straightening that crooked path and every society will become a more powerful force because of it. Yesterday, we gorged the bitterness of bigotry. Today, we taste the fruits of unity and diversity. Today, we plant the untainted seeds of effortless innovation and boundless meritocracy. Today, little girls and little boys will witness the ubiquitous talents of women in power and exalt their leadership. Young women will know they have they have a reasonable option before them and no law will disallow their choices. It’s paramount that not only young women see their defined roles as unrestrained but that young men do and work in concert as we brave a new world. It’s true: Today is the greatest day in the history of the world and tomorrow will be even

better.

J. R. Parler

JRParler@yahoo.com

Commercial Real Estate & Finance

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Help answer the question about women history

A. The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women found that women did not experience discrimination at work.

B. A popular idea in the 1950s was that women would be happiest as wives, mothers, and homemakers.

C. In 1963 women earned only 60 percent of what men earned.

D. By 1963 nearly one-third of American workers were women.

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J. R. Parler specializes in commercial real estate and finance.

Women’s Political Struggle in Nepal: a Shared History of South Asia

Dr.Kedar Karki

Nepal is a small, landlocked Himalayan State, placed between India and China. Its population of over 18 million is predominantly rural. Since its unification 200 years ago, Nepal has been a monarchy. In the 18th century, the warrior king Prithvi Narayan Shah unified many princely states, bringing the country to its present shape and size. The unification marked the beginning of the rule by the Shah dynasty. In the past two-and-a-half centuries, the country has been ruled by 13 kings. For a century of isolation between 1850-1950, a feudal family—the Ranas—who called themselves kings, ruled Nepal. During their regime, the people were deprived of fundamental rights. In 1847 the Ranas took over power from the king and remained the de-facto rulers for 104 years. The Ranas word was law. The people revolted against the Rana oligarchy, and in 1951 the Rana regime gave way to democracy. King Tribhuwan supported the revolt. However, the ushering in of democracy wasn’t completely free of political turmoil.

After years of political instability that followed, general elections were held in 1959 and for the first time the people had an elected government. B. P. Koirala became the first elected prime minister of Nepal. In less than two years, King Mahendra, successor of King Tribhuwan dissolved both the government and the parliament, brought democracy to an end and introduced the party-less Panchayat rule. The Panchayat system, in which political parties were banned, continued for 30 years. During this period a number of armed and unarmed struggles against the system took place, which was crushed by the government. Students launched a major political movement in 1980 against the Panchayat system, during King Birendra’s regime. To resolve the tension, the King announced a referendum. People were to choose between multi-party democracy and an improved version of the Panchayat system. In a controversial result, the multi party democracy was defeated. However it weakened the Panchayat system, paving way for the restoration of democracy after a decade.

 In 1950, a movement, jointly involving the people of Nepal and the King, overthrew the autocratic rule of the Ranas, and a parliamentary form of government was established. In 1960, the King banned the parliamentary system of government, and established a party-less, autocratic panchayat system.

For more than 30 years, Nepal had no party system. In the 1940s, the people of Nepal were greatly influenced by India’s freedom struggle against British colonial rule. They rose against the Rana regime, which had suppressed the growing people’s movement for democracy. Women started coming together, and from 1947 until 1952, several women’s organisations were born to raise the political and social consciousness among women in Nepal.

In 1960, the King of Nepal subverted the democratic panchayat system to an autocratic one. This put a sudden end to all associations and their activities. Women, however, remained politically active. In protest against the undemocratic royal proclamation of 1960, a group of women openly waved black flags in a public procession, and were imprisoned.  Later, in the people’s movement of 1989, women actively participated to get rid of the autocratic panchayat system and to usher in a multiparty, democratic system. Women of various regions and ideologies contributed greatly to the success of this movement.

In 1989, there was a mass movement for the restoration of democracy. The constitution of Nepal, framed in 1990, after the restoration of democracy, mandates a parliamentary form of government, constitutional monarchy and the strengthening of multiparty democracy, and an independent judiciary.

The historical Movement of the people in 1990 overthrew the Panchayat system and restored multi-party democracy. Within a year, a democratic constitution was introduced, which, for the first time, made the people sovereign. Less than six years after the restoration of multi-party system, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist started an armed insurgency in 1996 claiming that the people had not yet received justice.

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 South Asia presents a unique paradox. Almost every country in the region, with the exception of Nepal, has had a woman leader at its helm at some point in time, a phenomenon unparalleled in other regions of the world. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have had the unique distinction of two women leaders in the course of their political history. This is in stark contrast to the dwindling numbers of women who are elected to national parliaments and legislatures during each election. The high visibility of women leaders is fully matched by the invisibility of women representatives in the national assemblies. In the case of Nepal, women’s access to positions of power in executive bodies and the courts has been limited. In the 25-member panchayat cabinet that was dissolved on 8 April 1990, there was only one female minister, who held the health portfolio. Very few women attained positions of office in panchayat institutions. Of the 140 members in the outgoing national panchayat, eight (5.7 per cent) were women.

In the May 1991 election to the House of Representatives, the final list of the 1,345 candidates included only 81 women (6.6 per cent). In the case of the two leading parties, the Nepali Congress Party had 11 women among its 204 candidates, while the United Marxist-Leninist (UML) party included only nine women among its 177 candidates. At the district and village level, the percentage of women candidates was a dismal 0.3 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively.

The results declared showed that of the 205 candidates elected, seven were women—five from the Nepali Congress Party and two from the UMI .Since the constitution requires that women make up five per cent of the upper house, three women were also nominated to fill the quota. At the national level, 10 per cent of the women candidates were elected. At the district level, although women constituted a negligible percentage of candidates, there was a 100 per cent victory for women, with all seven women winning. At the village level, 25 per cent of those women who stood for elections won. 

The new constitution of Nepal promulgated in 1990, provided women with equal political rights. It states that women can vote, compete in local and national elections, involve in political parties, and support and adopt any political ideology. In 1990, constitutional provisions were introduced that made it mandatory to nominate at least five per cent of women candidates for the House of Representatives, and to provide for seven seats for women in the National Assembly. The only provision added to appease women is the article on election rules . The constitution now requires that women amount to at least five per cent of the candidates fielded by each political party in the elections for the House of Representatives.

In the decade long armed conflict more than 13 thousand Nepalese lost their lives. Thousands were displaced and hundreds disappeared. Terror, instability and infrastructure damage took its toll on the nation. In the meantime, the entire family of King Birendra was wiped out in the infamous Royal palace massacre. The subsequent rise of King Gyanendra, pushed the country to further turmoil. The government failed to hold elections in time. On charges of incompetence Sher Bahadur Deuba’s elected government was overthrown and the King formed his own government.

The Maoists movement had in the meantime gathered momentum, hindering the holding of elections. The new government under Lokendra Bahadur Chand also failed to conduct elections. Surya Bahadur Thapa was appointed as the new Prime Minister. He held peace talks with the Maoists to prepare an environment for elections, but that too resulted in a failure. Deuba was reappointed the Prime Minister, but only remained in office for a short time, as dialogue with the Maoists did not materialize. The escalation of violence and killings only added to the people’s desperation and increased security problem.

On February 1st 2005, the King took over absolute state powers and assumed the role of the Chairman of the cabinet, a cabinet that he had himself nominated. This led the political parties to form an alliance with the Maoist rebels. In November 2005, a 12-point agreement was signed by the seven political parties and the Maoists. The first objective of the agreement was to end the violent conflict and restore peace in the country. This agreement provided the Maoists an opportunity to suspend the armed movement and participate in a peaceful democratic movement.

The peaceful movement turned into a people’s movement. Millions of people marched onto the streets demanding an end to the tyrannical monarchy and the writing of a new Constitution through a Constituent Assembly. The people finally forced the king to relinquish state control on April 24, 2006. The success of the People’s Movement II left king Gyanendra powerless. The political parties are now committed to writing a Democratic Constitution through a Constituent Assembly elected by the people. The Maoists have become a part of the Parliament. The responsibilities vested in the King have now been transferred to the Prime Minister.

An election for the Nepalese Constituent Assembly was held in Nepal on 10 April 2008 after having been postponed from earlier dates of 20 June 2007 and 22 November 2007. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN (M)) placed first in the election with 220 out of 575 elected seats, and it became the largest party in the Constituent Assembly. It was followed by the Nepali Congress with 110 seats and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with 103 seats. As of 17 April, 26 women have secured seats in the new assembly, 22 from the CPN (M), one from the Nepali Congress, two from the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal and one from Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party from direct election on the basis of first track past post.

South Asian nations share certain predominant features: centralised governments; socio-economic inequalities based on class, gender and caste; and nationalistic divisive claims on grounds of ethnicity, language and religion. India and Sri Lanka have remained democracies for the past 50 years, while Bangladesh and Pakistan have been swinging between democracy, militarism and autocracy. Nepal has passed from democracy to absolute monarchy and back to democracy, absolute monarchy, and federal democratic republic.

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India was under British colonial rule for approximately 200 years, and became an independent State in 1947. India then encompassed today’s Pakistan and Bangladesh. Indian women’s involvement in politics started in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Although British imperialism profoundly influenced the political engagement of both elite and non-elite women during this period, its impact on the character and purpose of their engagement was very different. Non-elite women fought against the British colonialists. Moved by the hunger of their children, the British confiscation of their land (which was their means of livelihood), and oppressive taxes, women participated alongside men in `famine revolts’ in the late 18th and 19th centuries, and other revolts in the 19th century.

In 1947, with the end of British colonial rule and partition from India, Bengal became East Pakistan. The marriage with West Pakistan proved incompatible over issues ranging from language to economic exploitation of the east wing, and domination by the bureaucracy and military of West Pakistan. In 1971, Bangladesh was born to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the people.

Historically, two important movements characterised South Asia. One was the political movement of challenge and resistance to British colonialism, and the other, the social movement to reform traditional structures.

The national movement against British colonial rule in undivided India, spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi, was instrumental in bringing women in large numbers into the public space. Gandhi played a crucial role in creating a favourable atmosphere for women’s participation in the freedom struggle by insisting that the struggle for women’s equality was an integral part of the movement of swaraj. His choice of non-violent Satyagraha as the mode of struggle also allowed women to play a far more active and creative role than was possible in more masculine-oriented movements.

While he wanted a vanguard role for women in the freedom movement, Gandhi did not encourage women to compete for power. Rather, he wanted them to enter public life as selfless, devoted social workers to undertake the crucial task of social reconstruction. He wanted women to cleanse politics, to feminise it by bringing in the spirit of selfless sacrifice, rather than compete with men in grabbing power, and thus prove their moral superiority even in the realm of politics. In Gandhi’s view, “Women are the embodiment of sacrifice, and her advent to public life should, therefore, result in purifying it, in restraining unbridled ambition and accumulation of property.” Gandhi, therefore, created a political space for women within the patriarchal system, projecting the concept of women’s role being complementary to men’s, and embodying virtues of sacrifice and suffering.

Gandhi, however, was very conscious of the power that women could have in a struggle based on the concept of non-cooperation. He stressed the importance of their participation in political and social matters, and exhorted them to join the nationalist struggle. Gandhi, therefore, played a vital role in attempting to feminise the nationalist movement in India. In the process, the values and views that he espoused influenced and shaped the women’s movement in the early phase of independence of the other nations of the region.

The leading South Asian social and religious reformers in the 19th century were males, whose principal objective was to cleanse and reinforce family life. For those early pioneers, women were, at first, objects of their emancipatory efforts. But, in the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, they became more and more subjects in the political and social spheres, as is clear from the examples of women’s political struggles around a variety of issues in the countries of the region. Yet, the basic understanding of the national movement’s leaders on women’s issues continued to be filtered through the existing patriarchal system.

Women of India participated in demonstrations such as the all-night dharnas of 1930 against foreign cloth, and in selling `the salt of freedom’ during the salt Satyagraha. These campaigns succeeded in breaking the myth of segregation. They also articulated liberal sentiments like suffrage rights. To advocate women’s equality and their right to participate in nationalist politics, the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) was formed in 1927 through an amalgamation of various regional women’s groups. It also spearheaded constitutional reforms and other provisions for women. Consisting of reformist, revivalist and radical streams, the AIWC played a critical role during the freedom struggle, and helped women systematically articulate their political rights in public forums.

In Pakistan, in the 1946 election, two Muslim women, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz and Begum Shaista Ikramullah, were elected to the Central Constituent Assembly. That same year, Muslim women organised and held demonstrations to prevent the government’s refusal to allow the Muslim League to form a ministry. Violence was used against the women demonstrators, and they were arrested as well.  Initially, most of these activities were confined to Lahore and Karachi. However, the civil disobedience movement of January 1947 mobilised even the Pathan women, considered the most conservative in the subcontinent. They marched in support of the movement, publicly unveiled for the first time. The most interesting form of political participation was the secret organisation called the War Council, formed by the Pathans, in which women helped run an underground radio station until independence.

By 1947, Muslim women were organising funds for the Pakistan movement, fighting oppression on the streets, and addressing issues such as education. The greatest numbers of women were not mobilised around issues relating to women’s rights or their political and legal status. Instead, the rallying cause was the Muslim homeland. The women believed that the newly created government would automatically expand women’s rights and open avenues for their participation at all levels.

In Bangladesh, the provincial education minister, Abdul Hamid, decided to close down the girls’ schools, as there were not enough teachers and students. Jobeda Khatun Chowdhury, the first Muslim woman politician of East Pakistan, resisted the closure of Sylhet Women’s College. She sought an interview with the minister on this matter. He stipulated a one-year period to enrol the requisite number of students; otherwise, the college would be closed down. Jobeda and a few other dedicated women then began a door-to-door campaign in search of students. They succeeded, and the college remained open.

In Sri Lanka, the erstwhile Ceylon, several movements characterised the fight against British rule. The Suriyamal campaign, which was started as a counter to the sale of poppies to assist British soldiers, was the training ground for the rise of the leftwing socialist movement in Sri Lanka, which spearheaded activities against British imperialism. For the first time, women entered radical politics. They became vocal and visible, and a variety of women’s organisations emerged, like the Mothers’ Union, the Ceylon Women’s Union, the Women’s Franchise Union, the Women’s Political Union and the Lanka Mahila Samiti. The formation of the Eksath Kantha Peramuna (the United Women’s Front) was another great event in the political history of the country. It was the first autonomous socialist women’s group in Sri Lanka. This party asserted its socialist policies in its declaration seeking changes in the fundamental structure of society. The women of these organisations continued to take part in active politics as members of parliament and cabinet ministers.

 At the grass-roots level, constitutional provisions have ensured reservation for women in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, there is a 33 per cent reservation for women through direct elections to panchayats or local-level self-governance institutions that function in almost every State. At the local level, the new ordinance of 1997, which ensured a 20 per cent reservation of seats for women, has been a breakthrough, and has contributed to the increased participation of women in local elected bodies. One seat is reserved for women in each ward of the Village Development Committee. The new ordinance forced all political parties to support at least one female candidate. This fact encouraged women to get more involved in political activities in Nepal.  About 40,000 female candidates were elected in the local elections of 1997. This provision has increased the numerical involvement of women in the local government units. However, their involvement in positions of decision-making and influence is insignificant. Overall, a strong male domination prevails.

The long history of struggles in South Asia–from women’s suffrage to women’s participation in electoral politics at national and provincial levels–is an ongoing one. The family and the community have replaced the State as the agency for granting voting rights to women. The State’s initiative of granting quotas or reservation for women has proved to be a mixed bag, depending on the country in question and the stipulation for reservation.  India is still struggling for a constitutional amendment reserving 33 per cent seats for women in the parliament and State assemblies through direct election. The system of indirect elections through nominations to the national assembly and parliament, as in Pakistan and Bangladesh, has ended up in women depending on political patronage and becoming `secondary members’. Here, affirmative measures such as reservation and quotas end up as merely notional.

At the grass-roots level, the case of India, which now has direct election and 33 per cent reservation for elected members in the local bodies at all three tiers of administration, with an additional equal reservation for leadership position, has emerged as the best model. Bangladesh and Nepal feature restricted reservation at a particular tier of administration. Whatever the outcomes, the power of legislative reforms to ensure women’s participation in electoral politics cannot be underestimated. Women are emerging as leaders, waging struggles on several fronts.   

South Asia boasts no documented case of political parties promoting the active participation of women in the party hierarchy or politics. In contemporary South Asia, the interaction of women in the public sphere has improved as a consequence of the women’s movement, particularly at the grass-roots level, and due to the proliferation of non-political women’s organisations. They have created alternative political spaces for women outside the party and other formal political structures, and women have started to engage with the State on a larger scale.

It is, however, evident that there are variations in this relationship between the State and women. Across countries in South Asia, constitutional provisions, legislative reforms and affirmative actions designed to encourage women’s participation in politics at the national level did not automatically result in the enhanced participation of women in politics. Socio-economic, religious and cultural factors remain major impediments. The governments of these countries are taking various initiatives to increase the political participation of women. However, it must be remembered that the affirmative measures are being injected externally into societies with extremely entrenched systems and traditions, and therefore, political restructuring will take a long time to usher in social transformations.

Women have greater potential and opportunities under democracy than under any other political system, although there are enough examples of autocratic and repressive practices within democratic systems, especially in the realm of party politics. The experience of democracy in practice in South Asia is that elected representatives routinely make politically expedient compromises and betray the confidence of their electors. That has been a negative development, as far as women in these countries are concerned.

The mere fact of being elected to office as a woman does not, however, automatically ensure gender sensitivity. This is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with, as it involves matters of class and caste. Having articulated the limitations of elected representative democracy, one must, however, emphasise that South Asian women would never have been able to rise to where they now are without democracy and reservation.

The women’s movement in South Asia, despite constraints and fragmentation, has had a number of achievements. In every country of the region, a vibrant movement has become a countervailing power to the State. However, the relationship between the State and the women’s movement is an uneasy one. There are attempts to co-opt leaders from the women’s movement through policies and actions. Once they are co-opted, self-aggrandisement gets priority over gender issues. Then the `female patriarchs’ perpetuate the existing system.

It is important to strengthen the links forged amongst the women’s movement, activists, civil society and women politicians. At the same time, there is need for extensive programmatic interventions to develop women’s skills to be efficient candidates and managers in governance, both locally and nationally. There is need to develop a system to provide women with information. Women also have to be taught to overcome the psychology of subordination, of being portrayed as victimised and helpless, and not be content with being guided by men. In all these countries, the training programmes on women in politics were received with great enthusiasm, despite the hurdles the women faced in getting to attend them. The women are fully aware of the importance of knowledge and skills to fulfil their new roles, and, in many instances, are creating new leadership models.

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Jackie shares with Sarah Palin the difficulties of being a woman in politics…and how to plot their revenge. For bloopers and outtakes: tinyurl.com more Jackie www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

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The metaphor of frontier helped us explore what it means to find yourself in a new land after setting out on a journey for an unknown destination. Participants took in the images and artifacts around the theme of frontier at five stations: setting out, new landscapes, perils along the way, guiding lights and the road ahead. Each person took a small colored conversation card from the station that appealed to them the most. Participants with the same colored paper then formed small groups to share stories and discuss the questions.

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Stories from the breakfast are soon to follow along with the images and conversation questions we shared. Until then, here are some initial impressions from attendee Gareth Powell, blogger & alt.worship movement leader in the UK:

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The session was put on by a cool team of ladies…it was great to see a joint leadership model that had many different life experiences and backgrounds. It was a really hope-filled and moving time of sharing, listening and story telling.It was moving to hear women saying how refreshing it was to be able to speak first and have the men listen and not feel as thought hey had to apologise. Something that as a bloke it is easy to forget – particually one that thinks he is pretty well educated and wants to have an opinion on everything.It was a great setting that felt more like a alt.worship church service with a hundred people than a ’session’. Multi-particpatory, visual, with a few people doing a little bit from the front, a bit of ritual and lots of story-telling.

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During this time, we will engage in active reflection and conversation about the journey many women leaders face along the path of ministry. Prepare to be engaged, challenged and moved by the stories told and the wisdom revealed. Space is limited to 100, so be sure to pick up a free ticket at the Emergent registration check-in.

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Throughout history famous female inventors and mostly have contributed enormously to the world of invention. Women inventors are responsible for a wide variety of inventions that we all encounter in our daily lives, from the automatic dishwasher to life saving medical inventions.

A brief look at some famous and not-so-famous women inventors.

Josephine Garis Cochran invented the first practical mechanical dishwasher in 1886.  Mrs. Cochrane was very wealthy and held a lot of dinner parties. Although she had servants to do the dishes, she was unhappy about how long it took and how many dishes the servants chipped. It is said that she once exclaimed, “If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I’ll do it myself!” 

She went about building one herself. Her friends were quite impressed and had her make machines for them as well.  Soon word spread, and she was getting orders for the machines from hotels and restaurants.  She got a patent on her design and went into production. At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago she won the highest award.

Her friends talked a lot about their new machines and soon, Mrs. Cochrane was getting orders for her dishwashing machine from restaurants and hotels in Illinois. She patented her design and went into production. She showed her invention at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and won the highest award.

Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut and Female Inventor

Ellen Ochoa born on May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles, CA., received her bachelor of science degree in physics from San Diego State University, and a master of science degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. 

Ellen Ochoa developed an optical system designed to detect imperfections in repeating patterns. Patented in 1987, this system is used for quality control in manufacturing.  Later she patented an optical system which can be used for robotic. To date, Ellen Ochoa has received three patents.

Not only is she an inventor, Dr. Ellen Ochoa is also a research scientist and astronaut for NASA. Dr. Ellen Ochoa is a veteran of three space flights and has logged over 719 hours in space. 

Patsy Sherman Inventor of Scotchgard

In 1952 became one of a small minority of women chemists working for a major corporation, 3M in this case. 

Patsy Sherman regards the discovery of Scotchgard as one of her most significant achievements since many experts had concluded that such a product was “thermodynamically impossible.” Patsy Sherman said, “We were trying to develop a new kind of rubber for jet aircraft fuel lines, when one of the lab assistants accidentally dropped a glass bottle that contained a batch of synthetic latex I had made. Some of the latex mixture splashed on the assistant’s canvas tennis shoes and the result was remarkable.”

That day in the lab is the stuff of legend. Patsy Sherman and her colleague, Sam Smith, were working on another project when they observed the accidental spill on a white tennis shoe. It wouldn’t wash and solvent didn’t remove it, and it resisted soiling.

Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith obtained U.S. patent #3,574,791 in 1973, for the method for treating carpets, now known as Scotchgard. The name Scotchgard is a combination of the words Scotch and guard.

Patsy Sherman was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1983. Patsy Sherman and Sam Smith jointly hold 13 patents in fluorochemical polymers and polymerization processes. 

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I’m Jewish and proud of it Proud of my culture, people and heritage It’s time to promote A sense of positive Know who you ought to be Know where you should be in society Things in life may get you down Like anti-semitism all around But don’t worry, don’t fear Stand strong and shake the ground Take a Yiddish trip in life And rediscover that we are United together as a people of true No internal divide, just a force with you Jewish people sharing a common bond To bring global harmony with …

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She's a famous singer during the Khmer Rouge. She was given the title "Golden Voice of the Royal Capital."

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Jen remembers this moment:

The highlight for me was at the very end when we passed out small rocks. Each rock had a word on it which we hoped would be a word or a blessing to help each person move forward on their journey. I just loved handing out the rocks. It felt like communion, holy and sacred. One man told me as he was leaving that when I spoke at the breakfast, for some reason he felt like crying and he didn’t know why. He said it felt like a call to his spirit somehow & that though he didn’t understand it, he wanted me to know. I handed him a rock, saying I didn’t know what word was on it, but I hoped it would be a blessing to him. He looked at his rock and filled up; he said, “This is perfect for me because I’m leading my church in a process of opening up the doors to women being elders and it’s been such a hard road. This tells me I need to keep going.”His rock said “Try.”