Women Leaders During a Global Crisis : Challenges, Characteristics, and Strengths

Abstract

Abstract. Women make up almost 50% of our global population ( World Bank, 2019); however, they comprise only 6% of elected nation leaders ( UN Women, 2020a). Though small in number, when coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic impacted our societies in 2019, women leaders were featured for their skillful navigation of an unknown and invisible threat. An understanding of the history of work toward gender equity, the current state of female leadership, and the continued barriers facing female leadership are reviewed to gain increased appreciation for why this emphasis was placed on female leadership. Researches analyzing women leaders during COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic are presented, showcasing the promising and significant findings. Global women leaders consistently demonstrated a trend of enacting prompt public health measures, resulting in low death rates.

Impact and Implications.

This manuscript addresses the continued barriers to increasing women in positions of power, the benefits of having women in decision-making positions, and recommendations to increase the rate of women leaders. In this global public health crisis, leadership qualities more often exhibited by female leaders will aid in building a more sustainable future, fueling the UN's sustainable development goal (SDG) #5 – gender equality.