Zee JLF: Power is masculine, women in power acquire masculine traits

"Reservation is the solution to giving power to women. Men do not want this Bill passed as men do not want women to break into their power structure and domain."

This was Margaret Alva at her candid best during the session titled 'Women and Power at the Mughal Tent' on the first day of Zee Jaipur Literature Festival. Helena Kennedy, a Labour member of the House of Lords, was also part of the panel that was moderated by veteran journalist Arati Jerath.

"Power is masculine. Men hold most top positions of power. And when women are in power, they acquire masculine traits and run down their femininity. See the example of Jayalalithaa and Mayawati," Alva observed.

"But Margaret Thatcher, who took lessons to make her voice deeper, used her femininity to get her way in the cabinet. While on the world podium she showed she was powerful, she did all manner of things," said Kennedy.

Recalling the Deorala Sati incident which took place when she was a minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government, Alva said, "On the thirteenth day, there were two lakh people at the spThis was Margaret Alva at her candid best during the session titled 'Women and Power at the Mughal Tent' on the first day of Zee Jaipur Literature Festivalot and the Joshi government was making arrangements for water for them. I said this much and no more and gave my resignation to the PM, saying I cannot defend this in Parliament. Rajiv Gandhi said to me 'it is not your fault'. He called Harideo Joshi and told him to go to the Governor and resign,"

"But I wanted my government to stay away from interfering in Shah Bano case. I fought till the last minute, but I could not convince them," she said.