The author has written an ode to Benazir Bhutto as we celebrated her birth anniversary on 21st June. She has had a deep impact on the author’s thought process about women in politics. The author has written her character sketch from the perspective of an Indian woman.

MUMBAI, 22 JUNE, 2021 (GPN / By Tanvi Pruthi): It is safe to say that politicians especially female politicians are confined to certain norms to make them “likeable” by society so that people vote for them. Though only those who break stereotypes find their way in history books.
Benazir Buhtto was one such leader. One might even say that she was one of a kind, much like her name which means “unique”. Why do I say this? I’m an avid political observer, and I feel so proud to see women politicians breaking away from biases. From Indira Gandhi to Mamta Banerjee, we find umpteen examples of women in politics creating niche for themselves.
But no female Indian politician has faced the hindrances that she overcame. Her fight for democracy in Pakistan, building an era for Pakistani women to bloom, managing family relations by staying in different time zones, and calling out Islamic extremism.
Her legacy inspires women who aspire to stand up for what they believe in.
Smashing the glass ceiling and patriarchy
It is a well known fact that she was the first woman Prime Minister of an Islamic country. Little do people know about the other firsts that she is credited with . She was also the first PM to conceive and deliver a child while in office. There was a huge campaign against her by the Muslim hardliners who asserted that an Islamic constitution does not allow a pregnant Prime Minister. A day before her Government was to be overthrown, she had a Caesarean delivery and her daughter Bakhtwar was born.
In her autobiography, she writes on her pregnancy, “Especially for young women it was a defining moment, proving a woman could work and have a baby in the highest and most challenging leadership positions. The next day I was back on the job, reading government papers and signing government files. Only later did I learn that I was the only head of government in recorded history to actually give birth while in office. That’s one less glass ceiling for women Prime Ministers in the future to have to break.”
Youngest Head of Government of Pakistan and the Islamic World, at the age of 35 she was second elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. She stood upright against the infamous Pakistan military. In one of her interviews, she said “The dangers arise to Pakistan from a military-mulla-madrassa complex.”
Massy and Classy Orator
She was born with a diamond spoon, a product of Oxford and Harvard, of course she spoke well. In politics, there are two kinds of orators – one who speak politically well and their words connect with the masses, example – Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi.
The other category is of the politicians who are learned and make actual sense Their speeches are not for the masses, but are significantly loaded with information. Arun Jaitely and Dr. Manmohan Singh will fall in this category.
But a few have the lethal combination of being massy and classy at the same time. In India, I can only think of Jawahar Lal Nehru (english) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (hindi). Benazir had the charisma to make rich on substance speeches with words that resonated with the masses. She commanded not just the language but figures of economy, world history, political dynamics between nations.
She spoke with calmness and wit. In India Today’s conclave of 2007, while replying to one of the questions, she joked, “Your Prime minister comes from what is now Pakistan and General Musharraf was born in New Delhi. And sometimes people in Pakistan joke and say, ‘can we exchange?’”
Wearing liberal Feminism on her Haute Couture Sleeves
Conservative Feminism has always surged. 70’s was the era of Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi. Strong symbols of women empowerment but can they be called “feminist”? Both of them distanced themselves from Feminism. Even today, you’ll hardly find an Indian mainstream female politician openly associating herself as a feminist.
Benazir Bhutto’s political term and personality was characterized by promoting the idea of a liberal Pakistani woman. She rejected hijab, bashed extremists forces who did not let women study and work. According to her, “hijab lies in the eyes of the beholder.”
On Islam and women, she wrote in her autobiography, “ There was no question in my family that my sister and I would be given the same opportunities in life as my brothers. Nor was there in Islam. We learned at an early age that it was men’s interpretation of our religion that restricted women’s opportunities, not our religion itself.”
She promoted women entrepreneurs, reservation for women in government jobs, travelled the world to deliver lectures on Islam and women. While being a full time politician and an activist, her fashion game was always on point. She was the Sonam Kapoor of politics. Blessed with a radiant skin, she carried herself with poise and remarkable clothes.
Had she been alive today, she would have definitely upgraded herself from salwars to palazzos much like every Indian and Pakistani woman has. Other than that she would have continued her valiant struggle for democratic and liberal Pakistan.