Germany's Dislike of Ms. Anna Lena Baerbock Makes Her Vulnerable at the UN

Anna Lena Baerbock has become a punchbag - ridiculed to the point of nastiness. Her first taste of public insult came from Germany itself, where her English accent was mocked and reduced to caricature. She once tried to say "beacon of hope," but her accent rendered it "bacon of hope." The German public pounced, sharing the joke across the world wide web with reckless abandon.

Yet when UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks with a strong Portuguese accent, no one laughs. The difference is striking. Criticism of Baerbock seems less about her competence and more about gender profiling.

Baerbock was nominated by the CDU-SPD coalition as President of the UN General Assembly and elected by more than three-quarters of member states. If the German government believed she was incompetent, why nominate her? The role doesn't demand extraordinary competence - especially compared to her previous position as Foreign Minister, which she held until the end of the legislative term. Was she good or bad? That's not the point.

Did former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher face such scrutiny? Men rarely do. The underlying message is clear: this position is "supposed" to be held by a man. One day, Baerbock may be told to return to Brandenburg to cook for her children - because women "belong in the kitchen."

There are many instances where the UN Secretary-General could have handled geopolitical conflicts differently. The war in Ukraine is one example. Critics whispered about Guterres's weakness, but never loudly. He is revered - because he is a man. Even when he makes cardinal mistakes, he enjoys dignity and honour at the UN. Baerbock does not.

In stark contrast, Baerbock's first speech at the General Assembly triggered a storm of criticism - as if an earthquake had struck the UN building in New York. It's hard not to believe that some of this backlash is fueled by German social media portraying her as a laughingstock. It's not funny - not even remotely. Baerbock is a mother of two, first and foremost.

German critiques amplified by global media have made her vulnerable. After her first UN speech, Arab media interviewed her. The tone left no doubt: Baerbock is disliked because she is a woman. Her statements are often twisted out of context. The gender-based hostility she faces daily is toxic.

Baerbock buys coffee-to-go and bagels for breakfast. She wears jeans and posts on Instagram. Critics lash out, condemning her "ordinary" outfit as unfit for a top diplomat. But she was demonstrating something important: that she identifies with ordinary citizens. Her wardrobe, her food choices, her social media habits - none of it is different from ours. Yet the public judgment is unbearably harsh.

President Obama once stepped out of his car to buy pizza and tipped the vendor $5. The gesture was admired across the U.S. When Baerbock picks up coffee at the UN kiosk, it's condemned. It's "too ordinary." A diplomatic step down. It seems there's nothing Baerbock can do to be accepted - especially in Germany. She is a thorn in many skins, starting at home.

If a mother cat abandoned her kittens, the global community would somehow blame Baerbock for cruelty. She's criticized even for things beyond her control.

Germany's preferred candidate for the UN presidency was Helga Schmid. But Baerbock didn't nominate herself - the CDU-SPD coalition did. She suffers for a choice made by others. Curiously, the Green Party isn't part of the coalition. Had Helga Schmid been chosen, she too would have faced ridicule. Just saying.

This article is about more than Baerbock - it's about the global plight of women. Gender discrimination isn't confined to the global south. What Baerbock endures - relentless ridicule for occupying male-dominated spaces - is exactly what makes African women fear public life, especially in politics.

Her resilience is a beacon for younger generations. Girls across the global north and south will draw courage from her example - charting hostile waters and enduring critiques that defy common sense.

I don't subscribe to Green Party politics. Baerbock was once its leader and ran for Chancellor in 2021. Politically, we differ. But I reach out to her as a woman. What's disturbing is the intolerance she faces - not for her politics, but for her gender. Her diplomatic errors are secondary. What's captured by many is gender profiling.

To err is human - but this idiom doesn't apply to Baerbock. She's expected to be perfect. That's a cultural flaw embedded in German society.

Baerbock will never be "right" in the eyes of many. She's been profiled as a diplomatic disaster - even by German women. Perhaps I'm reading it all wrong. But I defend Baerbock as a woman - not her political missteps, which may be many. Criticism must remain civil.
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