Lady Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s longest serving and sole female Prime Minister, died today at the age of 87 from a series of strokes. Perhaps the most controversial and polarizing politician of the 20th century, Thatcher’s political reforms combating inflation and scaling back the state continue to be felt and questioned in Britain and the world today. A hero of the conservative party, she was described as the “political soulmate” of Ronald Reagan and their hard-line against the Soviet Union and communism sparked the coinage of her monicker, the Iron Lady.
Regardless of her contentious handling of Ireland, the cradle of Notre Dame, Thatcher’s many accomplishments, including a scientific and legal background, and dual occupation as mother and politician strike a particular chord with young women around the world. Born to a grocer, Thatcher studied chemistry at Oxford and worked as a research chemist during her early professional life, only becoming a barrister and politician after the birth of her children. Her legacy offers a nuanced response to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s infamous declaration in The Atlantic that women still can’t have it all by showing that a ferocious political presence did not demand the sacrifice of motherhood or fulfilling private life. She reminded us that no one can have it all because choices must be made, especially with regards to leadership. She famously said: “Being prime minister is a lonely job. In a sense, it ought to be – you cannot lead from a crowd.” Those are certainly words to live by.
For more information on the life of Margaret Thatcher, see the BBC’s excellent obituary.Â
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