UPDATED: By Denis Campbell

Country music’s Tammy Wynette ‘standing by her man’ aside, Labour Health Minister Edwina Hart, currently standing for election as leader of the Welsh Labour Party is again today being skewered by the male-dominated Western Mail (or is it Male?) for, seemingly, not being a man.

This time they say it is for NOT speaking the national language, something more than 2-million residents of this land DO NOT speak in the latest ‘straw man’ argument and attempt to derail her leadership chances.

What really appears to be happening is she has hit her head on a seemingly impenetrable ‘glass ceiling’ series of code words in this campaign. They should disturb every somewhat enlightened man (especially those with daughters, I have three) and woman as we enter the 2nd decade of this 21st century.

Yesterday in an appearance on BBC’s The Politics Show Wales, I briefly raised the issue of the 800 lb. gorilla sitting in Labour’s leadership election room. Felicity Evans, asked a follow-up stating that since half the elected members of the Welsh Assembly were women, was this really an issue? I felt it was and, as is normal in television, we ran out of time before I could address and raise ongoing gender issues in this (and many other) election(s).

Viewing this as a guest in this country and not having a horse in this race, there appears to be sleight of hand ‘whispering’ as we head to the finish line. Much of it has strong gender, ‘put her back in her place,’ overtones to it. I venture this only because it was very evident on both gender and racial levels in the homestretch of last year’s US Presidential election. There the Republican Party tried (unsuccessfully) to make Michelle Obama’s activism and personality an issue bringing in the both racial and gender stereotype code words: “uppity” and “Momma Michelle” to the mix.

In this race the gender charged code words are “aggressive, abrasive and outspoken.” Fellow (and former) AM Glyn Davies writes in his blog A view from Rural Wales that Edwina Hart is “an assertive Social Justice Minister whose abrasive approach is not endearing, Betsan Powys on the BBC Wales Betsan’s Blog said:  “Edwina Hart must convince them she knows abrasive is bad but assertive good; other AM’s have been overheard using the word aggressive in mixed company and even WaleHome.org website had Daran Hill referring to “her strong personality traits.”

Now, I challenge anyone to find an instance where those words would be used openly or derisively to describe a man running for any office. Therein lays the rub. Mrs. Hart seemingly must be 3x better than any male candidate to win in this election solely because of her gender? Rubbish you say?

While Mrs. Hart was not blessed with the camera loving style/skills of President Barack Obama, former PM Tony Blair or First Minister Morgan, her plain-spoken, get it done style clearly enraptured the woman questioner on Dragon’s Eye late Thursday evening.

Ask equally un-telegenic Angela Merkel of Germany what it’s like to be challenged as ‘frumpy’ by her party’s establishment, the press and her male colleagues. Yet with a ruthless efficiency she to this day runs a respected juggernaut of a coalition government and recently won re-election.

Hillary Clinton certainly knows how double-edged the telegenic gender sword can be after her defeat by President Obama in the primaries. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House is daily ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked by both opposition and members within her own party for her facial ‘ticks’ yet just managed to get a healthcare reform bill passed with as much skill as the legendary Tip O’Neill.

Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria may not be a Welsh household name but as the current President of Chile she won hearts and minds in a battle to close the gap between rich and poor wining 55% of a macho Latin male-dominated vote.

So while I agree with the BBC’s Ms. Evans that 50% of the Assembly seats are controlled by women, that leadership glass ceiling remains to be blasted away. Until it is removed across the globe, we will continue to discuss or, more likely avoid, these issues.

It is interesting that heated charges are levelled within her own party against seemingly the only candidate in the race to have managed or run anything of substance. Bringing the £6 billion pound NHS into the 21st century was needed and caused strife within her own party. It was made even worse with an H1N1 flu epidemic. Running two unions in the past then making tough personnel calls that affect unions does not endear one in the civil service 9-5 world. So why are voters not supposed to be happy to read she was late to the race because she was busy doing actual work?

My 22-year old daughter is a Gubernatorial Fellow to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, one of only 10. Now I am not prepared as she starts her career to tell her or her two younger siblings that they can only expect to rise so far or must somehow settle for less because of their gender.

Despite Carwyn Jones winning the debate and running a strong campaign, if you really want to foster involvement and overcome electoral apathy, it would seem very courageous and logical to demonstrate that a woman can become First Minister of Wales. Then you take a very big 1st step into a 21st century where Wales can no longer afford to be run solely by a network of ‘old boys.’ This is especially true when one sees so many very talented, aggressive and capable women in the wings wanting to make a huge difference.

Leave ‘standing by your man’ to C&W singers of the 1960’s. In the 2000’s women are more than ready to stand on your own two feet and demand your place at the leadership table.

(In an e-mail response earlier, Daran Hill was pointed out that he felt unfairly singled out for rebuke. We re-read our initial submission and could understand how one might feel that way and assured him the article was about sexist language and tone. Because we strive to get it right, we modified the article to add in other references citations speaking to the broader tone of sexism and sexist code words that would not be used to describe a man, even if they are uttered by another woman. No slight of Mr. Hill or WalesHome.org was ever intended and we sincerely apologise. -Ed.)