If Women Were in Power

"There are slightly more women than men in this world. About 52% of the worlds population is female. But most of the positions of power and prestige are occupied by men... The higher you go, the fewer women there are."

--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ted Talk

**Quick disclaimer: I apologize for using the words 'men' and 'women' throughout this post. I acknowledge the masculinity in women and femininity in men, and that it will take the synthesis of both, not the exclusion of either, to move towards a future that sustains us.

The question is not whether or not a woman can do a man's job. They can. The question is whether or not they want to. A woman could do any job that a man currently holds in a position of power. They could not do it without acknowledging the moral greed, corruption, and deceit that it takes to get there. Women seem to be inherently more painfully aware of our connection to the whole. Women don't rise above others, they rise with others. Their competition is not in conquering, but rather in incorporating. Their interest is in the interest of the whole. Their self-interest is contingent on the greater interest... not on making the most money, having the most 'power' or controlling other people. 

As are the bearers of life, women are intrinsically connected to the earth. As creators, we are biologically connected to the time and energy life requires. Our existence is intertwined with what has come before and what comes after. We are needed by our children to feed, nurture, love and care for them. A baby cannot survive without a mothers milk. Men are needed too, but no longer in the context of their physical strength. Instead of learning how to incorporate their physical strength, (their biological advantage,) into a system that provided for themselves and the community at large, they've built up a system of infinite 'growth' on a finite earth. 

I believe men are in the positions of power because they can more easily sever themselves from the common interest for self-interest. There is a point where 'power' comes at the expense of person, physical, and emotional tolls. Things which most women are not willing to sacrifice. I believe the reason women are not in the positions of power is because these positions do not hold real power. Power, defined by Webster is, "the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events." How this is done differs between men and women. Women gain power through compassion and understanding. Through listening to what needs to be met and meeting them. Their 'power' in the work place is contingent on the health of their relationships, family, and selves. Their work is a piece of their life, but not often their entire life.

Men it seems, have been trained for independence. To sever themselves from their emotional bodies, and to do whatever it takes to be the best. Biologically I believe this is a part of winning over a mate. However, without being kept in check by the feminine energy that genuinely incorporates human need, this masculine energy can run rampant. It does run rampant. Money, the current most influential source of power, is distributed through a system that very few people know how to play. Most people would rather carry on with their lives and live humbly than hoarding ridiculous amounts of the worlds resources in their own pockets. 

Women need to be valued for their power to bring forth and care for life on earth. Life is the thing that we are working so hard to figure out within system that doesn't give value to the things that nourish us. Things like spending time outdoors and the creation of art, conversation, community, and love.  If women were in power, our people would be fed. They would be educated. They would understand the cycles of life and death. They would seek connection, rather than disconnection. If women were in power, the earth would have a voice in the matter. We would acknowledge the needs of the people, and take only as much as the earth could supply in order to continually replenish itself. When there is enough food, everyone on earth will be fed. When there is a shortage, everyone on earth will live with hunger. We would slow down, because there is time to slow down, to spend time with the people we care about. We would prioritize art and community and self-improvement. We wouldn't need so much money, because our needs would be met. 

It is time for the women to rule. To thank the men for getting us where we are now, and to have them teach us their system so we can deconstruct it gently. To weave a future that takes care of all the people on earth, into a system that has only catered to an elite few. It is not women against men, it is women with men. It is the masculine with feminine. It is letting go of what culture wants man to be, and allowing room for what women are. 

Maybe it's simple. Maybe its not. We will never know unless we try.