Member-only story
If Women Ruled the World: A Blueprint for a Kinder Future?
What if empathy, collaboration, and care were at the heart of global leadership? Let’s imagine a world led by women — warts and all
Picture this: A world where wars shrink to whispers, diplomacy blossoms, and empathy shapes policy. What if the reins of global leadership shifted entirely to women? Would the planet thrive or stumble? Let’s explore this thought experiment, unpacking history, culture, and human nature.
The Historical Context: A World Dominated by Men
For centuries, power lay in the hands of men. From empires to corporations, patriarchy has been the status quo. Yet history holds glimpses of matriarchal societies. The Minangkabau of Indonesia, for instance, prioritize female leadership in familial and societal decisions. Pre-colonial Africa’s Igbo culture shared power between genders. These examples hint at alternatives, but global history has overwhelmingly favored male dominance.
Men’s leadership often emphasized conquest, competition, and hierarchies. It built colossal empires but also unleashed wars, colonization, and environmental degradation. Women, largely excluded from power, focused on sustaining communities, fostering connections…
