Case study
Ms Beautiful (fictional name) is one of the straight-A students of the Webster University in Saksonistan (fictional country). Having obtained the American degree, Ms. Beautiful further studied and worked in several European and Asian countries in order to enrich her academic and work experience. In addition to her world-class education and sought-after job experience, she was lucky to meet reliable career and life mentors whom she took up a great deal about life and leadership skills from.
Several years later, Ms Beautiful – after a long journey of schooling and hard work in some international organizations – secures a job at one of the regional branches of the Ministry of Public Services in her home country, no doubt to be ascribed to her dazzling background and attractive personality. Ms Beautiful was a patriotic woman who loved her hometown and country she was raised in and always wanted to change the situation in Saksonistan.
She worked for 5 years in the Ministry and got promoted to a senior position. Let’s say she was promoted in some executive position and was deployed to a backward poor district of Saksonistan faraway state from her hometown. There, violence and discrimination against women were extensive. The politicians, various government officials were known for their hatred against women and women workers in the district. Ms Beautiful’s parents tried to persuade her to marry a guy from their hometown who showed a sincere interest in marrying her. Parents tried hard to make her return to her home region where she would get a safe and comfortable career and overall development.
Ms Beautiful rejected nicely. She firmly told her parents that she wanted to face such hardships and serve downgraded regions of her nation. As she assumed her office, rumours were spread about her past and alleged links with the mafia in the region. She had taken extraordinary measures to stop illegal activities including smuggling and corrupt cases in the government system despite risks to her life. A recent news report assumed that she was going soft on the mafia. Another report suggested that she had an affair with one of the male officers in the organization in a neighbouring district.
Identify the elements of ethical concerns and dilemma in the above case and substantiate how you would have responded to each of such concerns and problems if you were Ms. Beautiful or a feminist or a person who is not careless about equal rights for both men and women. What feministic issues are involved in this case, if any? Do you think unproven rumours and personal attacks to damage Ms Beautiful’s image and reputation should be tackled by Ms Beautiful in this case, and why? Whatever the answer may you provide, you are required to justify your standpoint.