(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Not many US presidential candidates have been as well-qualified as Hillary Clinton.
She is an educated lawyer with additional courses in children and medicine. She has broad experience as a university teacher, and was considered one of the most powerful US lawyers in the 1980 and 90 century. While first lady – first in the state of Arkansas, then in the United States as a whole – she was very politically active, and in 2001 she was elected to the Senate. She was a senator until 2009, when she became Foreign Minister until 2013. As Foreign Minister, she was particularly involved in peace and women's issues.
Hillary Clinton is not the first woman in the world to succeed her husband as head of the nation, but usually her spouse has been dead. In the only case when the spouse was not dead, in Argentina in 2007, his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner took over the presidency right after husband Néstor Kirchner, and in the election campaign took great advantage of his good name and reputation (see also my book The women of power (University Publisher, 212)). For Hillary, the situation is more complicated. Both when she stood as presidential candidate in 2008 and lost the nomination, and now when she tries again, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is still highly outspoken and active, and his reputation is mixed.
Male Dominated. The President of the United States is one of the world's most powerful leaders. The country is not only a great power, but also a worldwide military power. As President of the nation, the President has exceptionally great authority. So far, all the presidents have been men, and there has been no female vice president. Male dominance is generally strong in American politics. Many women have made choices, but breaking through is very resource-consuming. The parties do not provide the same support for candidates as in other countries, and in presidential elections, elections are held that prevent women. Today, there are only 19 percent women in the House of Representatives, and 20 percent in the Senate. In the government, the proportion of women is 26 per cent. Of the 40 Democratic and Republican candidates who have so far launched their candidacy as president in the 2016 election, there are typically only three women. Next to Clinton, there are two Republican women standing.
Hard shooting. Hillary Clinton is world famous. Everyone knows about her, but the media coverage is extremely sexist. There is a lot of style and little substance. Her appearance is analyzed in detail, often with negative comments. She is judged by stereotypical women's images, and whatever she does, it becomes "wrong". If she shows strength, she is too "manly". If she emphasizes the feminine, she is not tough enough. Moreover, the attacks are far more hateful than many other politicians have to endure. In addition to being exposed by being a woman, she is criticized for being a liberal from the Northeast in the country, for having a strong connection to Washington, and for being polarizing in her views.
If she shows strength, she is too "manly". If she emphasizes the feminine, she is not tough enough.
Easy to swear. It is early in the race and it is still unclear who is opposing Hillary Clinton. But she is undoubtedly very capable. Commentators claim that she has learned from experience and is modifying her election campaign compared to seven years ago. She also has unparalleled supporters and money. The women's movement is divided in the view of Clinton's commitment to women, but it is also emphasized that feminism is more prevalent in the United States now than it was seven years ago. The question is whether it is sufficient? As a female candidate in a cynical, male-dominated media world, Hillary Clinton is incredibly vulnerable. It's easy to play prejudice and ridicule her in American opinion. She may also be subject to criticism for actions in her previous career, such as the use of her own e-mail in office when she was Minister of Foreign Affairs. Although Hillary Clinton can certainly be elected, it may not happen at all.
Female Secretary General As public and open as the fight is for the president of the United States, the selection of the UN Secretary General is hidden and closed.
According to the rules, the UN Security Council is to discuss the issue of new Secretary General in a private meeting, and then recommend the candidate to the General Assembly. The general meeting elects the person for five years by a two-thirds majority.
This usually goes away quickly and routinely, as members of the Security Council have agreed in advance.
Although the Secretary-General has come from different countries, so far there have only been men – eight in a row. Now it is raising votes to bring in a woman. In Beijing in 1995, 189 governments decided that by the year 2000, the UN should have a gender balance among its staff, especially from the case manager level and upwards. But in 2015, there are still no more than 25 percent women in the highest positions, and the very highest is also occupied by a man. About a quarter of the UN member country, with Columbia's ambassador Maria Emma Mejía in the lead, has joined a "group of friends supporting a female UN Secretary General". Equality Now also mobilizes female academics and civil society leaders in an international campaign to promote female candidates to lead the United Nations.
Demand for transparency. At the same time, diplomats and civil society representatives have criticized the opaque way in which the world's great powers, especially the way the five permanent members of the Security Council negotiate the world's foremost official. The process must be more open, it is argued, otherwise the UN will become an anachronism, with no relevance and ability to deal with the most pressing global crises. A coalition of NGOs has launched a campaign to get a more open and inclusive process: "1 in 7 Billion: Find the Best UN Leader." Croatia and Namibia are at the forefront of the Member States to give them more say in the selection of Secretary-General. When the UN General Assembly meets on September 15, it will consider a motion for resolution to carry out transparent nomination procedures and get a female secretary general elected.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's term expires at the end of 2016, and there is no set timetable for the election process. There are also no clear requirements for the position, except that the holder must have "reputation and high performance". Candidates from the five permanent members of the Security Council are not considered, in order to avoid concentration of power. Regional rotation is often emphasized, but this is not statutory. To date, different regions have been represented, except for Eastern Europe.
More alternatives. There are no female candidates who are sufficiently qualified, some argue. To meet such a claim, informal lists of potential female candidates have begun circulating. And there is actually a good deal to choose from if you look at women heads of state and government, foreign and finance ministers as well as employees of international organizations. The proposals include President Michelle Bachelet of Chile; Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, Director General of UNESCO; Helen Clark, formerly the Prime Minister of New Zealand and now head of the UNDP development program; President Dalia Grybauskaite from Lithuania; Alicia Bárcena Ibarra of Mexico, Secretary General of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; Christine Lagarde from France, head of the International Monetary Fund; and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
Now it remains to be seen whether the UN member states take their own commitments seriously and elect a female secretary general of the World Organization.
Skard is a senior scientist.
