UN Sec Gen - Why not a woman?

[August1991]

The South Korean front-runner to replace Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general rejected criticism that he is too weak for the job, insisting he has the “inner strength” needed to lead the world body.

Link

South Korean Ban has inner strength but the Secretary General has never been a woman. Why?

[Argus]

The South Korean front-runner to replace Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general rejected criticism that he is too weak for the job, insisting he has the “inner strength” needed to lead the world body.

Link

South Korean Ban has inner strength but the Secretary General has never been a woman. Why?

Because 95% of the world's politicians are men. Simple statistics would say it is unlikely that a woman would take the helm.

Also there's this. I heard an interview with someone speaking of UN secretaries general. What he pointed out was that they were rarely anyone's first choice. They were the products of compromise, people that the different groups disliked less than they did others. Obviously all the Muslim nations, and a good deal of others, would dislike a woman.

In any event, due to the means of their choosing, strong, capable UN Secrataries General were more a matter of accident than design.

The system is pretty much designed to select weak men.

[geoffrey]

It's the last thing we need, an affirmative action position in the UN... like the GG. Sillyness to consider gender before qualifications. Pfft.

[M.Dancer]

The South Korean front-runner to replace Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general rejected criticism that he is too weak for the job, insisting he has the “inner strength” needed to lead the world body.

Link

South Korean Ban has inner strength but the Secretary General has never been a woman. Why?

Because 95% of the world's politicians are men. Simple statistics would say it is unlikely that a woman would take the helm.

84.2% ......but no one expects accuracy when numbers are pulled from a hat........

http://www.iwdc.org/resources/fact_sheet.htm

[Wilber]

Not doubt there are women who would be capable but I think Argus has the gist of it. Too many see a weak leader as being to their advantage and women who rise to that level are rarely weak. Unfortunately there are many places in the world where a woman would not be considered acceptable.

[August1991]

It's the last thing we need, an affirmative action position in the UN... like the GG. Sillyness to consider gender before qualifications. Pfft.

If every Sec Gen since the inception of the UN had been a woman, I'm sure you argue otherwise. Many Canadians are tired of having PMs from Quebec all the time.

Incidentally, the Latvian Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga has been proposed but Russia has said it will veto her.

There's an interesting discussion on the Wikipedia website about the selection process.

I agree with Argus that it's a process of compromise but I didn't quite realize how formalized the process had become. Soon, there'll be a conclave and journalists will be looking for smoke.

Who would want the job anyway? You spend five years of your life in an airplane with no support except your mouth and your brain. I guess for some though it's the equivalent of playing on a Stanley Cup team.

[JerrySeinfeld]

We need oprah or paul martin.

These are logical candidats to head up and organization centered aroud "talk talk talk" but never "do do do"