From A Whisper To A Roar: An Analysis on Post-War Female Leaders in the 21st Century

The academic and journalistic literature in international relations neglects women and their voices, resulting in important knowledge gaps on the role females have played historically in the domain of politics and war. Filling this gap, the current research elaborates on the 21st century women political leaders and reflects on their journey of dealing with conflict prone societies while serving their terms in office. Historically, women have been subjectively perceived as emotionally sensitive and, thus, having limited leadership abilities to handle conflicts and wars. Testing this view through real-world examples of females who led their countries during or after a war/conflict, the study questions this political discourse built around differences between men and women. Through qualitative case study approach, the current research compares the cases of four female political leaders, Eleanor D. Roosevelt (1933-1945), Indira Gandhi (1966-1980), Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) and Benazir Bhutto (1988-1996), examining their decisions and policies, leadership styles, challenges they faced and legacies they left behind. This paper concludes that women’s political leadership is of immense importance, not just as pacifist mediators, but also as thinkers, change makers, and role models that have made history.