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Benazir
Bhutto:
The
Possibility
of
Woman
By
Suzanne
Wright
Benazir
Bhutto,
the
brave
and
beleaguered
former
Prime
Minister
of
Pakistan,
is
a
stunning
example
of
a
possible
woman.
An
inspirational
blend
of
courage
and
compassion,
she
was
the
preeminent
keynote
speaker
for
the
8th
Annual
Possible
Woman
conference
at
Atlanta's
World
Congress
Center.
Bhutto
is
elegant
and
eloquent
and
she
possesses
a
steely
composure
that
no
doubt
served
her
well
as
the
first
woman
head
of
state
in
the
Muslim
world
and
the
youngest
Chief
Executive
in
the
world.
The
daughter
of
Pakistan's
former
Prime
Minister
Zilfikar
Ali
Bhutto,
Benazir
was
raised
in
a
political
family
and
her
composure
served
her
well
during
two
embattled
tenures
in
1988
and
1993.
In
fact,
she
was
arrested
nine
times
and
was
held
in
detention
or
prison
for
more
than
five
and
half
years
after
her
father
was
ousted
from
office.
Bhutto,
who
was
educated
at
Radcliffe
College
and
Oxford
University,
was
replaced
in
1996.
Even
in
exile,
Bhutto
continues
to
guide
her
beloved
nation,
lecture
widely
and
rally
for
the
restoration
of
democracy
and
human
rights.
Post
9-11,
her
words
ring
with
even
greater
urgency
and
power.
A
universal
symbol
of
wisdom
and
of
democracy,
she
carries
what
she
referred
to
as
the
“gauntlet
of
leadership
that
was
thrown
before
me.
I
had
no
choice
but
to
pick
it
up.”
In
her
speech,
she
referred
to
the
times
we
are
living
in
as
“extraordinary
and
dangerous.”
In
discussing
the
new
millennium
she
encouraged
us
to
address
new
realities
and
to
find
new
opportunities,
while
offering
condolences
for
the
loss
of
“3000
innocents
who
collapsed
under
the
weight
of
hate.”
Unfortunately
Bhutto
knows
about
the
weight
of
hate.
Her
husband
has
been
under
house
arrest,
separated
from
her
and
her
three
young
children
under
age
13,
since
1990.
Still,
it
is
with
determination
and
hope
that
she
reminds
us
of
Vaclav
Havel's
words
that
“communism
was
not
defeated
by
military
force
but
by
human
spirit.”
Similarly,
she
believes
that
three
things
choke
off
the
oxygen
of
terrorism:
information,
social
democracy
and
equality
of
the
sexes.
During
her
two
reigns,
terrorism
was
non-existent,
and
she
championed
women's
initiatives
that
transformed
Pakistani
society
and
attacked
ignorance,
illiteracy
and
injustice.
Pakistan
was
a
model
of
moderate
Islam.
“Leadership
is
difficult,”
Bhutto
reminded
her
audience.
“If
you
lead,
you
can
expect
to
pay
a
huge
price.
But
leadership
is
born
of
passion,
a
commitment
to
an
idea,
a
people,
a
land.”
She
looked
momentarily
wistful
-
a
possible
woman
who
has
seen
both
victory
and
defeat
and
hopes
to
see
victory
again.
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