In different cultural backgrounds, how do women achieve self-growth and self-worth? On the afternoon of July 21, the 7th themed reading activity of the "Oriental Reading Club" hosted by the Oriental Publishing Center was held in the East Branch of Shanghai Library. This event is also one of the activities of the 6th Shanghai Library Reading Season.
Huang Xiaoling, a senior translator at the German Consulate General in Shanghai, Zhang Fan, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University, Zhang Keyun, an associate professor at Tongji University, and Zheng Shiliang, executive editor of The Paper·Shanghai Book Review, came to the scene to share their understanding of "female power."
Dialogue scene, from left: Zheng Shiliang, Zhang Fan, Huang Xiaoling, Zhang Keyun
Be firm in being yourself and grow up amid doubts
The book club focuses on the theme of "Female Growth under Multiculturalism and Multiple Roles", from the perspective of two outstanding women : Former German Chancellor Merkel, author of the book "Merkel: The Power of Women" and Zelda LaGrange, author of "Good Morning, Mr. Mandela".
"Merkel: The Power of Women"
Merkel is the first female prime minister in German history. She has a doctorate in physics and a background as a female scientist in East Germany. After the end of the Cold War, against the background of the reunification of East and West Germany, Merkel led Germany to overcome many difficulties through outstanding leadership, allowing Germany to develop steadily. Zelda LaGrange is Mandela's most loyal follower. The book "Good Morning, Mr. Mandela" presents from her perspective the experiences of Mandela and the South Africa he led. The Turbulent Years covers important events in South African politics, racial issues and development issues in South Africa.
Both women have achieved amazing things in their respective fields. Although their personal experiences and life backgrounds are very different, they were all questioned when they first entered the political stage.
"Good morning, Mr. Mandela"
"Before Merkel took office, there had been seven prime ministers in German history, all of whom were men. Merkel began to be labeled as a 'political vase', 'Kohl's little girl' and other labels , encountered various doubts.” When reading, the first thing Zhang Fan paid attention to was the challenge brought to Merkel by her female identity.
When Zelda met Mandela for the first time, she faced more doubts about herself. At that time, she was just a 24-year-old "novice in the workplace", but the man was the famous father of the founding of South Africa. During her first conversation with the great man, she was at a loss and burst into tears.
However, both women were not defeated by external doubts and their own fragility. Instead, they became more and more courageous. Facing the complex and ever-changing domestic and international situations, Merkel led Germany into the new century and created an era of female leadership. "Merkel has never said that she is a feminist, but her path of female self-realization has become a model for our lives and historical undertakings. Women are never a weak gender, as long as you are determined to be yourself." Zhang Fan explain.
Zelda was very unconfident when she was first invited by Mandela to work in the President's Office. But Mandela told her that as a white person in the office of the president, she was the spokesperson for South Africa's national unity. From then on, Zelda took this as her own responsibility, linked her personal destiny to the destiny of the country, and assumed responsibility in complex international affairs.
"What these two books want to reveal is how the two women used emotion and strength to get out of their own female era. Men and women have never been opposites. They must go to each other to illuminate each other and lead mankind to the future. A better future," Zhang Fan said.
has a stable core and breaks stereotypes
Women will inevitably encounter stereotypes in the workplace, especially for women in politics. During her time in power, a large part of the criticism Merkel received was directed at her appearance, clothing, and makeup techniques. Merkel's response was to introduce a "power uniform" dressing style: the upper body is a candy-colored bright suit, and the lower body is always trousers. She copes with the workplace with an ever-changing "unmistakable" dress.
Huang Xiaoling was deeply impressed by this detail in the book "Merkel: The Power of Women".In the German political arena, men’s attire rarely causes criticism, but as a woman, Merkel has to face this part of the criticism. “In this way, Merkel not only satisfies her need for simplicity and pragmatism, but also allows these Shut up the nagging people." Huang Xiaoling believes that Merkel's clever and humorous way of dealing with stereotypes reflects the wisdom of women. Another similar story is that during Merkel's campaign for a third term, rivals described her in a book as a "cold avenging angel" who unexpectedly used the money she earned as a bar girl in her youth to pay for school. He responded with anecdotes, reversing his serious and boring image in one fell swoop.
"Merkel has strong vitality and an open mind. This open mind is not only for others, but also for yourself. You must not set limits on yourself and believe in yourself." What should modern women do? To deal with the problem of multi-faceted and multi-identity pressure, Huang Xiaoling emphasized that women, like Merkel, should get rid of various labels that set limitations for themselves, and have the courage to try, seize opportunities, and carve out their own life path.
Zelda also has an open mind. Born in South Africa, she is a "born racist" and was instilled with the idea that "black people are dangerous" since she was a child. But after joining Mandela's team, she quickly changed her mind and began to discover the excellent qualities of the black workers around her.
"There is a saying in society to describe women, 'Can go to the hall, work in the kitchen, write code, and climb over walls'. This actually treats women as multi-tasking processors and requires women to be good at all aspects." Zhang Keyun said , Merkel has also been measured by such a scale. You can see a lot of this in Merkel: The Power of Women. In addition to her attire, Merkel has also been accused of not having children. Her plain clothes were even ridiculed by women her age.
"Schopenhauer said that the three elements of happiness in life are 'who you are', 'what you have', and 'other people's evaluation'. But the most important of them is 'who you are', that is, how you are Define yourself.” Modern society has many expectations for women, should women hold themselves to this standard? Zhang Keyun believes that this is not the case, "We should learn from Merkel's stable core. Keep working hard to become what we pursue."
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