Heather Ball - Great Women Leaders

GREAT WOMEN LEADERS

THE WOMENS HALL OF FAME SERIES

BY HEATHER BALL

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Ball, Heather, 1978
Great women leaders / Heather Ball.

(The womens hall of fame series)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-896764-81-9

1. Women--Biography. 2. Leadership in women. I. Title. II.
Series: Womens hall of fame series.

HQ1123.B34 2004 j920.72 C2004-900832-3

Copyright 2004 by Heather Ball

Edited by Frances Rooney
Copyedited by Rachelle Redford
Photo edit by Corina Eberle
Designed by Laura McCurdy

Printed and bound in Canada

Third Printing, 2007

Second Story Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. We acknouiedge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporations Ontario Book Initiative.

Published by
SECOND STORY PRESS
20 Maud Street, Suite 401,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5V 2M5

www.secondstorypress.ca

To J.W.C.

Why write a book about women leaders? Why not write about leaders in general, whether theyre men or women? I remember that when I was in school, history was one of my favorite subjects. I loved hearing about brave men who led others toward a better world, who dared to do things differently and introduced new ways of thinking. But something has always bothered me. It all seemed uneven. I couldnt help but ask myself one question: Where are all the women?

The deeds of women have not always been acknowledged. Maybe its because, traditionally, most societies have been patriarchal, meaning run by men. Until the twentieth century, women didnt have many choices for what they could do with their lives. Women could not vote in elections, most could not own property or go to university. Women make up half of the worlds population and even today are not involved in a lot of decision-making. Its hard to believe that the United States, one of the most developed nations, has never elected a woman as leader. In fact, only about fourteen countries have had a woman president or prime minister. Only fourteen percent of Members of Parliament worldwide are women.

Despite these statistics, its important to know that there are many women who show leadership every day and accomplish great things. In this book, you will read about ten such leaders. Some names you may have heard before. Others you will meet for the first time. They come from Africa, South-East Asia, the Middle East, and North America. They maintain different religious and spiritual beliefs. They have completed varying levels of education. They have worked for the environment, for peace, and for civil rights. Their stories take place throughout history, from thousands of years ago right up to today. Despite being so different from one another, these women have many things in common.

Past or present, all of the women in this book used their intelligence to solve problems. They were never afraid to question the world around them, to challenge what they thought was wrong. All faced prejudice in one form or another. They were looked down on because of skin color, religion, or for the simple fact of being female. They were teased, called names, and even threatened, but they were strong and determined, and never gave up. Most important, they believed in themselves and their ability to make a difference.

Many of these women had no idea that they would become great leaders. Hatshepsut thought she would be a pharaohs wife, not a pharaoh. Golda Meir wanted to spend her life on a communal farm. Aung San Suu Kyi saw herself as a scholar, not a politician. Often, their accomplishments came about from simple, but important actions. Rosa Parks did not give up her seat on a bus. Wangari Maathai grew trees in her backyard.

If you have ever thought to yourself, I cant do it; one person cant make a difference, then I hope you will be inspired by these ten stories. Whether you want to start a club for others who share your interests, run for class president, or get people together to fight for a cause you truly believe inyou can do it! There is still a long way to go in the area of gender equality, but progress is being made every day. These women are proof of that. All of them show that women can do great things, can make the world a better place for everyone.

CIRCA 15051455 BCE

It is over thirty-five hundred years ago in mysterious ancient Egypt, home of columned temples, the pyramids and the lavish tombs of royalty. The pharaoh, the countrys king, who was believed to be part human, part god, surveys the great land and ponders the enormous responsibilities. Some of these include planning military strategies, proclaiming laws, and most importantly, preserving maat, the Egyptian idea of universal order and balance.

Life in ancient Egypt was very different from what we know today. People did not have the choices we now enjoy. Men were mainly employed to work in the fields or do other kinds of demanding outdoor physical labor. Some worked as merchants or craftsmen. If they were lucky enough to be able to read and write, they could work as a scribe and write letters for the pharaoh or document events in hieroglyphs, Egypts written language of pictures. Womens choices were even more limited, and their main occupation was running their household, although some worked as midwives, maids for richer families, or dancers at special events. Houses were built of bricks made from a mixture of mud, straw and pebbles, and of course had no electricity or running water. Temperatures, then as now, often reached over 40 degrees Celsius (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit), and because of the incredible heat both men and women shaved their heads to keep cool and wore wigs out in public. Staying bald actually served a second purpose, which was to protect against lice and disease. Although Egyptians loved to decorate themselves, the basics of fashion were practical. They wore simple sandals made from reeds and clothing made of linen, a light fabric woven from flax seed plants that lets air pass through easily and does not absorb the heat of the sun. To protect their eyes from the suns harsh glare, women and men painted around their eyelids with kohl, a dark black eyeliner.

This is how Hatshepsuts name would have appeared in ancient Egypt. The names of pharaohs and queens were always written as hieroglyphic symbols enclosed in an oval shape, called a cartouche. The shape, or cartouche, represents a loop of rope that some think was meant to provide spiritual protection to the name inside.

Hatshepsuts father was Tuthmosis I, who had no royal blood himself but was chosen to become pharaoh because he was an accomplished warrior who led the country in many military victories. Her mother, Queen Ahmose, possessed great wisdom and as Gods Wife, the title given to the Queen of Egypt, had a lot of influence.