India's Iron Lady

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India, the world’s largest democracy, from January 19, 1966 until her assassination in 1984. She held the office for four terms, three of which were consecutive. Prior to her rise to into the seat of Prime Minister, she was a part of India’s Congress party in 1948 and was elected to the party’s Working Committee in 1955 and to its presidency in 1959. Shastri then elected her to the position of Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the upper house of Parliament. In Women in World Politics, it was said that “she would have been none of these were it not for her patrician origin… her class enabled her to “transcend gender”‘ (D’Amico 48).

Indira was born into an upper class, wealthy, and well- educated family that was significantly involved in India’s government all throughout her life. In Jana Everett’s case study of Indira Gandhi she states, “From the perspective of 1991, the dynastic character of Indian political leadership is apparent: Nehru family members served as Prime Ministers for 40 of the 44 years” (Genovese 110). Her grandfather, Motilal Nehru, was a barrister under the British, whose wealth supported a privileged lifestyle for his family (D’Amico 45). Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, became the head of the Indian National Congress, the political moment seeking complete freedom from Britain, while working under Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi declared his desire for Jawaharlal to become the head of the government-to-be. India’s independence from Britain was achieved in 1947; and, as Mahatma Gandhi wanted, Jawaharlal became independent India’s first Prime Minister on August 15, 1947 (D’Amico 47). Two years following her father’s death and leave from his position, In...

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... closely to her male colleagues, Indira Gandhi exhibits a more developed leadership style that can only be found in female politicians. Regardless of any woman’s attempt to prove her competency within the political realm— of men— they will never be fully recognized by their male colleagues. In Indira Gandhi’s case, there was continuous animosity towards her gender: citizens baring grief in having a female leader and sexist inferences in the comments of her critics (Genovese 127). This proves that women have yet to win the battle of being assertive enough to stand among men and yet uphold their feminine qualities. Much better stated by Manushi, “to survive [women political leaders] must, on the one hand, make themselves like the stereotyped male—aggressive, competitive, ruthless, authoritarian—and on the other, continue to play the “good women” role” (Genovese 127).