Riding on the "Crescendo" of Political Personas: Engendering a Female Political Icon

Abstract

This study was based on the observation that the construction and presentation of the self is a prominent feature of the life of every politician. That construction of the self is even more pronounced in male politicians, who clandestinely perceive politics as a male preserve. Because of the prevailing social order’s agitation for the sharing of power between men and women, men resort to concealing their true and embodied beliefs about gender equality and women’s empowerment by feigning support when speaking in public political spaces. Using the idea of persona, a concept that explains the presentation of the self and “masks” that people wear to construct themselves, this study explored the male dominated political system of Botswana to identify the “deceitful” and “inauthentic” acts of male politicians. The study also used persona to explore gendered political space in Botswana to identify the “true selves” hidden behind male politicians’ public selves as they engaged in political activities. The personas in this study have been uncovered through Margaret Nasha’s involvement in politics as an important agent and “driver” of the agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment. The choice to use Margaret Nasha’s political life story as a conduit to identity and explain political persona “masks” that male politicians wore was informed by the multifaceted roles she played to survive political muddles. Using document analysis and semi-structured interviewing methods, this study has unearthed that Margaret Nasha’s involvement in politics exposed her male political colleagues’ hidden selves and the influence of patriarchy in continued gender inequality in Botswana politics.