In 1987, as Benazir Bhutto prepared for an arranged marriage, she said, “Benazir Bhutto doesn’t cease to exist the moment she gets married. I am not giving myself away. I belong to myself and I always shall.” This assertion of selfhood was not just a personal stance but a prelude to her groundbreaking tenure as Pakistan’s first woman prime minister.

Her ascent shattered ceilings in a deeply conservative society. Yet, decades later, Pakistan ranks 145th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report, 2024.

This paradox is not unique to Bhutto. The WEF Report underscores a troubling pattern: women in power do not always translate into broader gender equality. Angela Merkel, who steered Germany through multiple crises during her 16-year chancellorship, and Indira Gandhi, who led India through war, famine, and economic upheaval, governed countries where gender parity remained stubbornly out of reach.

Read more at: https://indianexpress.com/article/research/the-paradox-of-power-why-women-leaders-dont-always-mean-gender-equality-9892419/