IT TOOK provocative questioning from a male CNN journalist to bring the three day international women's conference here to life.
Until the closing hours yesterday afternoon, the atmosphere was worthy and serious. There was much networking between the women leaders behind closed doors. There was little new information in the sessions open to the media. It was leaden.
Suddenly, in mid afternoon, in a programme which was filmed live and is expected to be shown by CNN next weekend, Ralph Begleiter began to ask all the politically incorrect questions which fuelled a palpable anger among the women leaders and unleashed fireworks.
The panel included President Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland, and five former prime ministers. The President, Mrs Robinson, who has been here since Sunday, was absent for this session.
In an apparently condescending tone, Mr Begleiter asked if women leaders were able to give orders to men. Did they expect to be obeyed? Could they take command in a war situation?
"There was no war when I was prime minister," Ms Edith Cresson (former French prime minister) answered quickly and coldly. "I could hardly create one. But I had the code to operate the nuclear bomb. I was next in line to take such a decision if the president was not available. It is unbelievable that such questions should be asked of us.
Ms Eugenia Charles, who served two terms as prime minister of Dominica, told Mr Begleiter "You have to be tough to be in charge. I worked with only men in the cabinet. I got rid of one who wasn't working properly. It is a tough job." Her tone left no doubt about how she operated in politics.
Mr Begleiter had asked if it was difficult for women to take hard decisions because "women are seen as soft and gentle and only men are tough".
Until then the body language of the women was similar and slightly defensive. They all sat with their hands clasped in their laps, their legs crossed. As the questioning continued they began to use their hands expressively. They leaned forward to make their points. The delegates sitting in the audience clapped enthusiastically as the panel of women began to, assert themselves.
They did it, equally successfully, in different ways. Ms Hanna Suchocka, former prime minister of Poland, said she and many women tried to convince their colleagues of what they wanted done. She tried "to bring as many with me" as possible.
Ms Cresson agreed "But you can't negotiate for ever. Consensus is what most women would prefer to achieve. Women want to achieve a task more than anything else, unlike men who usually want to push themselves forward, too. If women seem weak, it is not that they are weak but they do not confront difficulties in the same way as men."
The former prime minister of Lithuania, Ms Kazimiera Daniute Prunskiene, who also had no women colleagues in cabinet, added mischievously "Women's tactics are different to men's but it is a good education for men."
The Stockholm conference, organised by the International Women's Leadership Forum, was enormously helpful, said President Finnbogadottir. The private meetings had developed confidence and solidary between the women. They were able to meet in confidence and deal with issues such as the "old stereotypes of hardness and softness".
When asked why women in power do not promote other women, all the participants agreed that they had always chosen the best person for the job, regardless of sex. None said she would call herself "feminist". Ms Cresson said what men wanted was "the appearance of power" which often hid their weaknesses.