Baroness Margaret Thatcher was a lady of immense strength. Women across the globe take inspiration from her rise to power
Margaret Thatcher was rightly called the Iron lady. I had the privilege of meet her once at the House of lords many years back. My first impression of her —as I had imagined her — she definitely didn’t let me down. Dressed in her trademark blue attire, she looked a figure of composure, dignity and authority.
In my growing up days two women had a great influence on my generation. First, late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and second, late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Indira Gandhi who knew Thatcher rather well always talked about her fondly and often referred to her as a person with human touch. Her personal staff worshiped her for the concern she always had for their families and how she always enquired after them.
Wherever she went she commanded respect. Despite being born to a humble grocer, Thatcher rose to the top with sheer hard work. She went to Oxford University to study chemistry and become a research chemist. However, life had other plans for her and she went on to becoming a barrister. She married Denis Thatcher a wealthy businessman in 1951. She represented parliamentary seat Finchley as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party. After holding several posts during Edward Heath tenure as Prime Minister, she challenged Heath and defeated him. From there on there was nothing that could stop her from becoming Britain’s first Prime Minister.
Once in office, she advocated privatising State-owned industries and utilities, reforming trade unions, lowering taxes and reducing social expenditure across the board. Thatcher’s policies had negative and positive effect. It succeeded in reducing inflation, but what made her so unpopular was the rise in unemployment during her years in power. The fact that former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and she had a human relationship may not have endeared to the people back home.
After being in office for three consecutive terms, in November 1990, she agreed to resign and was replaced as Prime Minister and party leader by her Chancellor John Major. Thatcher returned to Finchley as MP for two years after leaving the premiership. The lady had a vision. She went on to hire Saatchi and Saatchi, for the first time, for a political poster which featured all famous actors. The poster went on to become the most famous in the nation’s history. British electioneering changed forever much to everyone’s astonishment. The style that was copied world over.
She also developed her own style statement. Actresses like Joan Collins, a great fan of Baroness Thatcher used it in the American glamour soaps like Dallas and Dynasty. The trend of shoulder pads came back and business suits tailor-made for her fit her personality. The blue coloured suit with pearls that she wore and the Asprey handbag that she carried is seen as a power symbol by women like Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice.
Thatcher may not be with us today but her stamp can be seen in women who want to be in power. Bad health in her last few years left her living a life of loneliness. But this Iron lady’s story gave strength to many women across the world. There is no doubt that history will remember her as a lady of character and strength.