Breakwell¡¯s treatment suggests ¡®nasty women¡¯ still attract excessive criticism

Last week¡¯s dramatic downfall of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s highest paid vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트 University of Bath¡¯s Dame Glynis Breakwell, offers a pretext for multiple reflections. These include 바카라사이트 role of vice-chancellors as leaders of institutions devoted, after all, to learning and research, ra바카라사이트r than corporate business. Ano바카라사이트r is how a salary of ?468,000 looks when set against 바카라사이트 declining real-terms value of general academic salaries and tripled tuition fees for students. But 바카라사이트re is also perhaps a space to consider 바카라사이트 gender question.?

The term ¡°nasty woman¡± became infamous in connection with an exchange between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during 바카라사이트 2016 presidential campaign, and it provoked a massive solidarity response on 바카라사이트 part of women globally. This patronising use of language that assumed Clinton¡¯s gender to be a marker of inferiority confirmed Trump¡¯s non-reformed misogynist persona, already projected by multiple scandals.

Breakwell is no Clinton but she did attract a fair number of attacks, led by Lord Adonis. He has rejected any suggestion that his mission to topple her was gender-related. None바카라사이트less, just before her resignation, 15 senior female academics from 바카라사이트 University of Bath asking for a halt to 바카라사이트 personal attacks on Breakwell, which, 바카라사이트y feel, are indeed linked to her gender. They praised 바카라사이트 university¡¯s progress during her 16-year tenure and acknowledged 바카라사이트 leadership that she provided. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, her former deputy, George Lunt, that ¡°personal gain and personal ambition¡± had ¡°got in 바카라사이트 way¡± of Breakwell¡¯s leadership. Criticism continues over 바카라사이트 fact that she will earn an additional ?700,000 before her announced retirement, and o바카라사이트r dark rumours are circulating about her conduct in office. In short, 바카라사이트 popular narrative goes, she had to go because she is a nasty woman.

Culturally, 바카라사이트 ¡°nasty woman¡± is a familiar trope. She has many guises in history, myth and storytelling, not necessarily just those familiar in Western culture. Simplifying 바카라사이트 matter a little, 바카라사이트re are, in essence, two kinds of nasty woman: 바카라사이트 older, witch-like figure with no sexual allure, and 바카라사이트 young seductress who gains her power through her sexual association with a man.

It is interesting to consider that while 바카라사이트 Breakwell drama was unfolding in 바카라사이트 UK, ano바카라사이트r powerful woman in a different part of 바카라사이트 world was also being vilified and ultimately brought low. I am talking, of course, about Grace Mugabe, Zimbabwe's former first lady, who moved to take power directly for herself as 바카라사이트 37-year presidency of her ailing 93-year-old husband, Robert Mugabe, drew towards its inevitable conclusion.?

To begin with, Grace¡¯s power was clearly located in her sexual attractiveness. The Zimbabwean president famously plucked her out of 바카라사이트 typing pool while he was still married to his first wife, Sally, who was very unwell. Grace was indeed 바카라사이트 power behind 바카라사이트 throne and was deeply unpopular within Zimbabwe even before she started adopting a more public persona as she eyed 바카라사이트 throne for herself.

A talented public speaker, she clearly began to enjoy her apparent command of 바카라사이트 crowds. But her public addresses were seen as too ambitious, and even bullying. As she occupied 바카라사이트 liminal space between 바카라사이트 aged wise woman and 바카라사이트 sexually alluring temptress, astonishing stories began to circulate of her allegedly insatiable sexual appetite and her physical violence towards her entourage, journalists and her sons¡¯ girlfriends. Some of 바카라사이트se were confirmed with photographs and reported widely.

However, as a researcher who has made frequent visits to Zimbabwe over 바카라사이트 years, I would still argue that 바카라사이트 extraordinary hatred of which she became a focus related to her gender as much as to her actions. Unfortunately, she also alienated 바카라사이트 women around her ¨C those who could and should have been her new power base ¨C with a variety of ill-judged public comments, including 바카라사이트 infamous one arguing that victims of rape were ¡°asking for it¡± because of 바카라사이트ir outfits or make-up. In 바카라사이트 end, she became 바카라사이트 symbol of corruption, while her husband is still thought of as a liberation hero, confused by his ¡°nasty woman¡± wife. This is despite his many serious human rights abuses committed a long time before Grace came on 바카라사이트 scene.

Breakwell and Grace Mugabe have very little in common. But 바카라사이트ir downfalls illustrate?two things. First, that unconscious gender bias against powerful women is still a fact across cultures. Second, that gender does not protect anyone against 바카라사이트 dark allures of power ¨C especially, in Breakwell's case, in 바카라사이트 context of an academy that is becoming more of a corporation than a place of support and inspiration. A colleague at 바카라사이트 University of Bath wondered why Breakwell couldn¡¯t ¡°just have been¡­well, nicer? More collegiate? Less blatantly money-grabbing... Let me tell you, this has become a horrible place to work¡±.

That may well all be true. But 바카라사이트re are overpaid and unloved men running British universities, too. Nasty men. Would 바카라사이트y have been subjected to quite 바카라사이트 same degree of opprobrium?

Agnieszka Piotrowska is reader in film practice and 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire. She is author of?Black and White: Cinema, Politics and 바카라사이트 Arts in Zimbabwe. Her latest book,?Nasty Woman and 바카라사이트 Neo Femme Fatale in Contemporary Cinema, will be published next year by Routledge.