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In a world increasingly defined by crises, we need women’s leadership like never before

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March 22, 2022

In a world increasingly defined by crises, we need women’s leadership like never before

Source: Ms Magazine

We need more women in top leadership roles. We also need male leaders embracing the qualities women leaders exemplified throughout the pandemic. Nothing less than our future depends on it.

Women are often unfairly criticized for being “too emotional” or “too soft,” yet it is the depth of emotional intelligence and interest in the greater good that have been the hallmarks of women’s leadership during the pandemic. These are the qualities that will help us address not only the next pandemic but also a future increasingly shaped by crises.

Early in the pandemic, several women leaders around the globe enacted swift policies to slow the spread of COVID-19, demonstrating decisiveness and rapid action. In late March 2020 when New Zealand went into lockdown, the country had only 102 COVID-19 cases and no deaths. At roughly the same time, the number of cases in the U.S. had surpassed 60,000. Though the U.S. had declared COVID-19 a national emergency on March 13, that declaration was followed by no clear, direct guidance to instruct Americans on how to slow the spread. States were left to figure it out on their own while millions of Americans fought over toilet paper in grocery stores across the country. 

Click here to read the full article published by Ms Magazine on 15 March 2022.

Author
Vineeta Gupta, Negaya Chorley and Kavita Pavel
Publisher
Ms Magazine
Publication year
2022
Focus areas
Partner
UN Women

We need more women in top leadership roles. We also need male leaders embracing the qualities women leaders exemplified throughout the pandemic. Nothing less than our future depends on it.

Women are often unfairly criticized for being “too emotional” or “too soft,” yet it is the depth of emotional intelligence and interest in the greater good that have been the hallmarks of women’s leadership during the pandemic. These are the qualities that will help us address not only the next pandemic but also a future increasingly shaped by crises.

Early in the pandemic, several women leaders around the globe enacted swift policies to slow the spread of COVID-19, demonstrating decisiveness and rapid action. In late March 2020 when New Zealand went into lockdown, the country had only 102 COVID-19 cases and no deaths. At roughly the same time, the number of cases in the U.S. had surpassed 60,000. Though the U.S. had declared COVID-19 a national emergency on March 13, that declaration was followed by no clear, direct guidance to instruct Americans on how to slow the spread. States were left to figure it out on their own while millions of Americans fought over toilet paper in grocery stores across the country. 

Click here to read the full article published by Ms Magazine on 15 March 2022.

Author
Vineeta Gupta, Negaya Chorley and Kavita Pavel
Publisher
Ms Magazine
Publication year
2022
Focus areas
Partner
UN Women