TO Carol Thatcher, daughter of England’s ‘iron lady’, is appalled that her country’s newspapers continue to mention her mother in the current ruler’s policy of bypassing number 10 Downing Street. But the legacy of Margaret Thatcher, who died ten years ago, crosses many boundaries.
Beyond her policies, praised and criticized in equal parts, Thatcher became in 1979 the first woman to hold the post of prime minister in the United Kingdom, a position in which he remained for eleven years. A true pioneer in a historic moment where women were not very common, even in politics – for many years she was the only woman in Parliament, while today there are more than 200 women in it.
Her daughter and biographer insisted during her ‘The power of commitment’ speech at the V edition of the Woman Now congress hosted by Vocento that her “accomplishments speak for themselves”, while recalling that “She is a woman who has not stopped fighting for freedom.” During an interview at El Beatriz in Madrid, Thatcher’s daughter said she felt “incredibly proud” of her mother’s legacy because she “never gave up” and made “women’s success the norm in the 70s and 80s.”
Of her role as a mother, Carol Thatcher replied that she was “very demanding”: “She got the name ‘iron lady'”, she joked on stage, but recalled how difficult it is for a woman not only to reach a position of power, but at the same time “to be a mother and a wife.” “A lot of guys laugh at her imitating her with bags and gesturing, it’s not easy,” she complained, but emphasized that this was 40 years ago and now it’s a different story.
The feminist movement understands this, but Margaret Thatcher did it her own way: “Demonstrations with noise and banners are not her style, she speaks with facts,” said Carol, who recalled the prime minister’s words: “If you want something to say, ask a man, but if you want something done, ask a woman.”
Thatcher is well known among the younger generation for the Netflix series The Crown, but her daughter said she had yet to see it, although she was delighted when almost everyone in the room raised their hands when asked how many viewers were watching.
She became the most powerful woman in Europe, but her daughters argue she got there gradually: “You don’t reach the top overnight, it takes years of hard work.” He also highlighted his calm manner of work and assured that when there was an emergency “he never made a decision without thinking about the consequences.”
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