Pope Benedict and King Abdullah: men in skirts against women

The Men in Skirts. Both leaders have been on a "charm offensive" and been seeking photo opportunities and providing unusual access to journalists.

Recently, these two -- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Pope Benedict -- met in Vatican City. Both are at the apex of their respective "establishments" which are, not to put a fine point on it, dominated by men who oppress and condemn women to second-class status.
There could not be a better photograph to symbolize the convergence of such political and religious power which has perpetuated the world's single biggest socio-economic problem: the disenfranchisement of females in most countries.

The Gender Gap
The widespread practice of denying women education, business participation and political influence is economically ruinous. It means that half the world's, or a nation's or an ethnic group's IQ is relegated to child-bearing and child-rearing. It means that there are too many mouths to feed, clothe and educate with the end result that the little girls, who survive being murdered in the womb or at birth by parents who want sons, are often condemned to dreadful lives of servitude and illiteracy.
Make no mistake: There is a correlation between female literacy and social or economic