Woes of women at the top

IN THE week we celebrated International Women’s Day, a personal tragedy befell one of the world’s most powerful women leaders: South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye was booted out of office.

It may be a welcome victory for the rule of law and fight against corruption worldwide, but Park’s fall is another in a string of personal tragedies for the orphan of political violence. She rose to power spectacularly and promised to guide one of Asia’s rising powers to new heights.

Many of the people in South Korea, one of the most affluent and globalised states in the region, are still behind her. They feel her pain, as evidenced by protests in her support, which left two elderly people dead this week.

Many supporters remember how, decades ago, she stepped into the shoes of her assassinated mother and how she had to go through the loss all over when her father, former president Park Chunghee, was also eliminated.

To some, her father had been a ruthless dictator. Yet he was respected for helping to industrialise the country that emerged from war and dictatorship to become a democracy and model of prosperity.

Park’s fall comes months after that of another colourful woman leader, Delma Rousseff, the ex-president of Brazil. These unconnected episodes are not just personal tragedies for them and female leadership in general; they are setbacks for the countries and for the march of democracy and development.

This is not to say they shouldn’t have been removed from office. But Brazil’s democracy has not recovered since Rousseff’s removal. Things could get worse economically and politically before they improve in the land of the samba and football. Many predict the climb back up will be long and painful.

In South Korea elections are set to be held in about two months. Whether a leader will emerge to unite the country and keep the peace remains to be seen.

Will the home of Hyundai, LG and Samsung withstand the political storm? Will arch-rival North Korea take advantage of the leadership vacuum?

Our own country has entertained talk of impeachment or ways to effect leadership change. Brazil’s experience suggests this is no harmless quick-fix or a panacea for national problems. The outcome is harder to predict than that of a regular general election.

Time will tell if South Korea will survive. And could South Africa pass a similar test?