It’s Time To Rethink the Role of First Lady | Irina Karamanos Adrian | TED

TL;DR

In her TED Talk, the partner of Chile's President Gabriel Boric discusses her role as First Lady and her efforts to challenge gender stereotypes and reframe the position's power by making institutional changes.

Transcript

In 2021, Gabriel Boric became the elected President of Chile. He was one of the youngest worldwide and one of the most voted in the country's history. He was supported by a political party called Convergencia Social. And by the time of the election, I was in charge of the feminist front of that party. So even though I was very confident our candida... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏛️ The elected President of Chile in 2021, Gabriel Boric, was one of the youngest in the world and received significant support.
• 🎉 Being the partner of the president, Mariana Montenegro, faced the unexpected prospect of becoming a First Lady, which seemed contradictory to her feminist beliefs.
• 🔁 Montenegro decided to challenge the traditional role of First Lady and sought advice from former First Ladies, feminists, and attorneys to understand the role better.
• 💡She realized that the position of First Lady in Chile was highly institutionalized, with foundations and protocol duties.
• ✨ Montenegro aimed to transform the figure of First Ladies and tackled the issues of democratic legitimacy and gender stereotypes. She presided over existing foundations, assessed their social goals, improved working conditions, and eventually transitioned the decision-making power to the relevant ministries.
• 📅 The whole process of making changes took about nine months, and Montenegro now operates without a team, an office, or an official role.
• 👥 She is not financially supported by the state and continues to attend public events with her partner.
• 👭 Montenegro highlighted the gender biased and heteronormative expectations around the First Lady role. She advocated for keeping marriage out of the presidential must-haves and focusing on the person voters have chosen.
• 🏛️ Montenegro believes that bringing changes to governmental institutions can increase people's attachment to democratic values. She sees state innovations as crucial for updating and legitimizing institutions to better represent contemporary needs.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who was Gabriel Boric and what made his election as President of Chile significant?

Gabriel Boric was the elected President of Chile in 2021. He was one of the youngest worldwide and one of the most voted in the country's history. His election was significant because it represented a progressive shift in the country's leadership and marked a historic moment for Chile.

Q: What party supported Gabriel Boric's candidacy for President?

Gabriel Boric was supported by a political party called Convergencia Social. This party played a crucial role in his campaign and helped him achieve success in the election.

Q: How did the speaker feel on the night of Gabriel Boric's election victory?

The speaker, who was in charge of the feminist front of Convergencia Social, felt overwhelmed on the night of Gabriel Boric's election victory. The event became more real when they walked through the crowds, held by security, and realized the immense support and celebration from thousands of people.

Q: Why did the speaker initially reject the idea of becoming a First Lady?

The speaker initially rejected the idea of becoming a First Lady because she believed that being a feminist was contradictory or incompatible with that role. She struggled with the conservative image associated with being a First Lady and questioned the impact she could have in such a traditional space.

Q: How did the speaker approach the challenges of becoming a First Lady as a feminist?

The speaker decided to meet with former First Ladies and talk to them about their experiences and achievements. She also held meetings with feminists from different generations to discuss the conflicting views on being a feminist First Lady. Through these discussions, she realized the potential for change and decided to use her power to transform the role.

Q: What changes did the speaker initiate as the First Lady?

The speaker initially presided over existing foundations and worked to ensure they were meeting their social goals. She improved salaries, increased transparency, and raised standards. Eventually, she advocated for the ministries to make decisions regarding these foundations, reducing the institutionalized power of the First Lady.

Q: What was the speaker's approach to addressing gender stereotypes as a First Lady?

The speaker believed that the role of First Lady perpetuated gender stereotypes and hindered progress. She argued against the expectation that a woman in power should have both masculine and feminine qualities, suggesting that this expectation was outdated. She advocated for marriage to be removed from the presidential must-haves and for the focus to be on legitimizing the elected leader.

Q: Why did the speaker reject the power that comes with being the First Lady?

The speaker rejected the power associated with being the First Lady because she believed it should be a result of the democratic process, not something bestowed based on personal relationships. By rejecting this power, she aimed to challenge the devaluation of democracies and promote attachment to democratic values.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Gabriel Boric was elected President of Chile in 2021, making him one of the youngest and most voted in the country's history. He was supported by the political party Convergencia Social.

• The speaker, who was in charge of the feminist front of Convergencia Social, reflects on her experience as she was about to become the First Lady of Chile.

• She discusses the conflicts she faced as a feminist taking on the traditional role of the First Lady, and her efforts to transform the position and challenge gender stereotypes within the role.