By Dr Ewelina Ochab
Over the years, we have seen how women can deliver palpable change in leadership, across many sectors. In advocacy – from Nadia Murad to Malala. In law – from Amal Clooney to Helena Kennedy KC. In politics from to Nanci Pelosi to Jacinda Arden. In journalism – from Yalda Haikim to Alex Crawford. In academia – from Prof. Nazila Ghanea to Prof. Patricia Viseur Sellers. The list goes on. Despite these great examples of women in leadership, and some progress over the years, we are witnessing a stagnation, if not downward spiral – with women still being told, that they cannot have it all.
In 2023, we still see the significant leadership gender gap. In 2023, women are Heads of States in 31 countries. However, according to assessments, at current rate, we will not see gender equality in these places during our lifetimes. It may take 130 years to see this change. Women represent 22.8% of Cabinet members heading Ministries in leading policy area. There are only 13 countries in which women hold 50% or more of the positions of Cabinet Ministers leading policy areas. Only 26.5% of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women. Only six countries have 50% or more women in parliament in single or lower houses. There are 22 States in which women account for less than 10 percent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, including one lower chamber with no women at all. Women constitute nearly 34% of elected members in local deliberative bodies. Only two countries have reached 50%. So women work more to get to these leadership positions. However, hard work does not always guarantee these opportunities, not when it comes to leadership.
In 2023, women still are to take the majority of other tasks and activities seen as traditionally women ‘jobs’ including taking care for their families and household, caring etc. So women do it all, no matter the physician and mental impact it has on them.
In 2023, women are still questioned whether they can have it all, as we witnessed after the resignation of Jacinda Arden, this despite delivering on the job and often excelling in whatever they do.
In 2023, women are more likely to be subjected to sexism, sexual harassment and abuse, whether in person or online. In 2023, women are still underrepresented in the digital world, but are the most common victims of online harassment, including online sexual harassment.
In 2023, women are still told that they are to look and behave certain way, ideally also age in a certain way.
And then surprise, surprise, in 2023, women are more likely to suffer from a burnout than men.
In 2023, gender stereotypes still shape the experiences women in leadership around the world. These serotypes say that women are not good leaders – so the paths towards leadership are longer and harder. These stereotypes say that women have prescribed gender roles so they take up more of such jobs. Women in leadership face pressures that men in leadership have never or rarely encountered. These challenges not only shape the experiences of these women in leadership but also the experiences of next generations.
What does it mean for women in leadership? Their lives have not been easier despite the international focus and pledges on gender equality, on combating sexism, combating violence against women, sexual harassment etc. Hopefully, it does not mean that less women will go into leadership. However, one would have hoped that in 2023, women in leadership do not have to be all scarred and bruised from dealing with the extra gender baggage that comes with their leadership roles – and gender baggage that men do not deal with. Unfortunately, still, these experiences of women in leadership are being undermined and ignored. Again, we have seen this in relation to many other aspects of women’s lives, where there was very little if any understanding of the experiences of women because the world is still run by men, and centers around the experiences of men.
What is the future of leadership? There is no future of leadership without women in it. Women must be in all places where important decisions are made, must take part in all the important decisions that are being made, which also ultimately affect women.