The expected preponderance of women in power as from 2017 has suffered severe setbacks within the last few months. By the earlier projection, a woman contender was expected to win the Secretary-General of the United Nations. That is not going to happen again as the UNSC is set to confirm Antonio Guterres, the male Portuguese diplomat. None of the five plausible female aspirants made it.
First upset occurred earlier on August 31st, 2016 when Dilma Rousseff who was president of Brazil, a rising global power, was impeached. This leaves Angela Merkel of Germany, particularly if she eventually re-contests and wins back her job in 2007 and Theresa May of UK as the two surer stars. The picture would brighten in terms of this number if Mrs Hilary Clinton were to win the presidency in the impending US elections.
But, even if that happens, the loss of the UN and Brazil would still have left a big gap not only in the numerical but also the symbolic import of that to the prevailing assumption that preponderance of women in power globally could mean something qualitative for humanity.
The assumption that the preponderance of women in power would be a phenomenon to watch arose from how it has never been like this before whereby woman’s rule or such a reality was on in several critical countries. By and large, the list is still hope raising: in addition to Germany and UK, there is Taiwan/China, the IMF, Park Geun-Hye in South Korea and Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan. Sir leaf Johnson in Liberia would still be in power till October 2017.
By January 2017, the number would deplete though with Dr. Nkosana Zuma leaving the chair of the African Union Commission. There is no guarantee that a woman would replace her. Later that year too, President Sir Leaf of Liberia would make her way out of power. It remains the site to watch.