Two remarkable women

“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”  – Golda Meir

I have, as the years rolled by, come to have greater respect and appreciate more women in various spheres of life. I write today about two such admirable women who have dominated some of the news in the past week or two. They are international figures, but this belief of mine is proven with our women too – at least those who conduct themselves well and deserve praise. For instance I watch one TV talk show without fail and this is Monday’s MTV I channel ‘Face the Nation’ panel discussion which Shameer Rasooldeen facilitates with a sure hand and strong voice. His journos too are fine. Whenever the panel has one or more women in it, and thankfully, every Monday sees at least one Ms. among three males; they outshine, out-argue, create a better impression and win approval and kudos, mine for sure and I am certain of very many others too. A research doctor admired greatly is Prof Malavige of the University of Kelaniya microbiology section.

Jacinda Ardern

Born in Hamilton, NZ, on July 26, 1980, Jacinda Kate Laurell Arden grew up in Morrinsville and Murupara attending a state school. She graduated from the University of Waikato in 2001 and became a researcher in the office of Prime Minster Helen Clark. Later she worked in London as an adviser in the Cabinet Office and was elected President of the International Union of Socialist Youth. Returning to NZ and joining the Labour Party, she was elected an MP in the 2008 general election when the Labour Party lost power after nine years. In 2017, she was elected to represent Mount Albert electorate in a by-election. She was also elected deputy leader of her Party and leader soon after. Later in the same year she led the Labour Party to win 46 seats against the National Party’s 56. A coalition government was formed on October 26, 2017, of the Labour and Green Parties with Ardern, aged 37, Prime minister; the 40^th PM of NZ and third female PM, after Jenny Shipley (1997-99) and Helen Clarke (1999-2003).

Statesmanship

Jacinda Ardern describes herself as a social democrat and a progressive, and true to her views, her government has focused on housing for all; child poverty; social inequality and equality to the Maoris, among other concerns. In the 2020 general election the Labour Party won hands down with a majority of 65 seats in Parliament, a first since introduction of proportional representation in 1996. She is definitely a feminist too.

She is a shining example of a true statesman, acknowledged the world over. In March 2019 she led her country through the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shooting when 51 were killed and 49 injured. She rapidly introduced strict gun laws. Through 2020 and 2021, she most efficiently directed the country’s response to the pandemic, cited an example worldwide. Then came the knife stabbing of several people in a shopping mall in Auckland by a man of Sri Lankan descent, 37 year old Ahamed Adhil Mohamed Samsudeen of Kattankudy. Her wise words prevented hate and ostracism of races in NZ, and I must add no slur on a religion or Sri Lanka.

Humanist

We all carry a picture of Ardern visiting Christchurch soon after the mosque murders, head-shawled and hugging Muslim women in sincere grief sharing. She received international praise. Then too her message was to shun racial labeling. Then came the recent terrorist stabbing. She announced to all: “It was carried out by an individual not a faith, not a culture, not an ethnicity. But an individual gripped by an ideology not supported here by anyone or any community.”

Another human story is that of her having a baby on June 21 2018, while PM, becoming the second elected head of a government to go on maternity leave; the first being Benazir Bhutto.

The father is her live-in companion since 2012 – TV presenter Clark Gaylord. In May 2019, they became officially engaged to be married. They named their daughter Neva Te Aroha; the first name being the localized Irish name Niamh, and Te being Maori for love; while the last name is that of a mountain near her childhood home.

A friend mentioned that Ardern is said to have Maori blood, so off I went searching Internet. She herself joined others in detective work on her ancestry. They climbed her family tree and studied DNAs. Conclusion is she has 54% Irish, 29% northwestern European, 10% French and German and 3.7% Scandinavian. No trace of Maori descent. Her father, born in Te Aroha, NZ, carries the appellation His Excellency having been an ambassador and was in the police force. Jacinda’s mother is Irish and has an ancestor who worked for Queen Victoria.

Jacinda Ardern is honest in her opinions and expresses them with restraint, diplomatically but truthfully. Interviewed some time ago by Christiane Amanpour on CNN, she puckered her face and said simply: “I just cannot understand Trump and the Americans.” That was indictment enough!

It is a happy thought that the world will see Jacinda Arden leading her country for much longer as she is young, and unlike most others, with increasing popularity.

Lyse Doucet

With the Taliban taking over Afghanistan and all the resultant upheaval and stark foreboding and fear suffered by Afghan women, this Chief International Correspondent and senior presenter of BBC, reported extensively from Kabul Airport during August this year, following the coalition’s rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Lyse Marie Doucet, OBE, CM, is a journalist born on December 24 1958 in Bathurst, Canada. She presents on BBC World Service radio and BBC World News on TV (UK) and also reports to BBC Radio 4. She graduated from Queen’s University and the University of Toronto. From 1983 to 1988, she worked as a freelance reporter in West Africa for the Canadian media and BBC. In 1988 she moved to Pakistan and then was based in Kabul to end 1989 reporting on the Russian withdrawal. In 1994 she opened the BBC office in Amman, Jordon, and from 1995 was based in Jerusalem up until 1999. She has covered the Arab Spring and the 2004 tsunami from Indonesia. She was back in Kabul after several visits to the place covering the Taliban takeover. The most striking factor is that she is in the thick of conflicts, head-shawled or otherwise. A recent BBC ad carrying the legend: we don’t only tell the story but live it, had shots of a young Lyse to the present, invariably with upheaval as background. Thus proof of her commitment to good reporting. She projects an appearance of determination, yet sympathetic empathy on her face and through body language toward the person interviewed or the country reported on,

Many are her achievements. She received the News & Documentary Emmy Award for outstanding continuing ‘Coverage of News Story in a Newscast’. Her movie productions include ‘Children of Syria’ 2014; ‘Children of the Gaza War’ 2015; ‘My Childhood, My Country’; ‘20 years in Afghanistan’ and ‘Syria: the world’s war’ 2018. In 2016 she received a Bafta Award. Her books include ‘Remarkable: five women who dared to make a difference’.

We will thankfully continue seeing more of this journalist too.