Jordan: Female MPs Watch On As Men Brawl In Parliament Over 'Gender Equality'

Jordan parliament fight: In a fantastic event that unfolded Tuesday, a group of men came to blows in the middle of the lawmaking house in Jordan. The issue they fought over was concerned with gender equality, which was being "debated" over. What's more surprising than a mid-Parliament brawl between grownup politicians is that in 2021, these brawls are breaking out against the context of something that shouldn't ideally be up for debate in the first place.

The entire row that began in the Jordanian Parliament was caught on livestream and is going viral on the internet.

As per reports, the issue that sparked the fight was regarding an amendment in the constitution that would recognise the female noun for a citizen in a chapter related to equal rights. Several leaders present, including women, were critical of the new amendment, saying distinguishing between 'female Jordanians' in the constitution would create further grounds of inequality.

After things heated up, a leader asked the house speaker to adjourn the session, adding he was "unable" to control the situation and knew "nothing." A fuming Speaker Abdul Karim Dughmi asked him to exit the session, following which things turned ugly.

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An epic photo of the fight in Parliament has been caught on camera that places the entire scene in perspective: seated women MPs watch on with what can only be dubbed disdain for the sight before them of male leaders worked up and trading punches. A weak justification of women not making it big in leadership, especially politics, because of their emotional tendencies has been passed around for decades.

Moments like these show just how the balance weighs. 

The intervening period between 2020 and 2021 has been definitive the world over to prove just how adept and crucial women are to leadership. New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, Finland - all countries that enforced swift management to curb the spread of COVID-19 had one thing in common. They all had a woman sitting at the top.

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In fact, if that emotional differentiation exists between genders, then it can safely be said that it is a facility that has worked for the benefit of women leaders. New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern and Germany's Angela Merkel showed that great leadership isn't necessarily bogged down by insecurity.

The former displayed new standards of Prime Ministerial sensitivity when she catered her COVID-19 guidelines for each citizen, down to the last child who was assured that essential workers 'tooth fairy' and 'easter bunny' would be on duty during the pandemic. Merkel, who stepped down this year as Chancellor after a historic run in office, did not flinch when she humbly said educational guidelines during the pandemic were not her area of expertise and she would leave it to experts on her team to look after that bit.

Compare this to the fighting leaders in Jordan's Parliament or ex-US President Donald Trump's practical meltdown on social media back in November last year when election votes were being counted. "STOP THE COUNT," the leader, who once told youth activist Greta Thunberg to "chill" and work on anger management, said over multiple tweets. Here's how Thunberg clapped back.

If elected leaders discard the decorum and dignity fitting them, then what chance does a country have of progress through leading by example? Can equality ever really be a reality in such a society?

Views expressed are the author's own.