New Zealand’s Jacinda Arden has won widespread support for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as her performance in the three years she’s been the country’s prime minister.  It’s lead many to suggest that female political leaders are generally positive for the countries they lead.

It’s a suggestion shared by new research from King’s College London, which suggests that society benefits the more women are involved in politics.  The study explores over 500 pieces of research to try and understand the impacts women leaders have in politics and other spheres of public life.

The paper suggests that when women are able to exercise political leadership, it not only benefits other women in those countries, but the entire society.

“This is a unique and important piece of work that makes an unequivocal case for the multitude of ways that politics, governance, economies and societies thrive when women take their place as leaders,” the researchers say.

Women leaders

The paper shows that when countries are led by women, they tend to give more focus to issues that benefit the most vulnerable in society, including education, welfare, and healthcare.  This helps those societies be more equal and caring than they otherwise would be.

The authors suggest that women tend to focus on these areas because they themselves are more likely to have experience of deprivation, which coupled with the societal norm that means they are more likely to also care for others renders them more empathetic of such causes.

What’s more, women leaders also typically work harder to represent their constituencies, which in turn creates the impression among voters that their leaders are responsive to their needs.  This is also reflected in greater efforts, and indeed success, in tackling corruption and improving the quality of public service.

Finally, states led by women were also found to be less likely to go to war, and less likely to commit human rights abuses.  They also tend to exhibit more collaborative and inclusive leadership in their governance rather than division and one-upmanship.  This results in countries having more stable leadership, and greater improvements in the quality of life of its citizens resulting.

Despite these apparent advantages, however, the report also shows that women face considerable barriers to equal participation in political life, including cultural norms and financial barriers.  Many even continue to face threats of violence and sexual harassment.

“Understanding the gendered nature of political leadership and decision-making is more important than ever as we collectively rebuild and hopefully move towards are more sustainable, resilient and inclusive future,” the researchers conclude.