The Rise of Women Leaders in the 21st Century

Recent elections in Chile, Liberia, and Germany have yielded a new crop of leaders- experienced female politicians with reform on their minds. Angela Merkel was elected chancellor of Germany, defeating Gerhard Schroder on a conservative ticket. Merkel has since lobbied the European Union to decrease bureaucracy, the Iranians to stop producing nuclear power, and the Americans to close Guantanamo Bay. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard educated lawyer, won a significant election against a popular male soccer player in Liberia. Johnson-Sirleaf became the first female executive in Africa and promised to do all in her power to end the civil strife that has beleaguered Liberia for two decades. Michelle Bachelet, a former defense minister and former political prisoner during the Pinochet government, won the presidential race in Chile against an ultra-conservative billionaire. Bachelet is a single mother, a lawyer, and in her brief period in office has struck a moderate chord for the economy as well as splitting her cabinet evenly between men and women. These eminently qualified women promise to be the vanguard for a new crop of leaders.

The question in many people’s minds may be why this is such a surprise. After all, the education barrier between men and women has significantly dropped over the last generation and more than half of the world’s population is female. However, only 11 of the world’s 193 nations currently have female executives. While women are gaining positions in presidential cabinets and businesses throughout the world, the gains are not as significant as would be expected. The idea of leadership and power in many parts of the world is still considered masculine and while women have begun to realize the promise of civil rights, the signs of success in gaining leadership positions are faint.

There is promise in upcoming elections for more members of the woman president’s club. In Finland, incumbent president Tarja Halonen is ahead in opinion polls and looks to be a near lock for another term. The Peruvian election, later this year, features Lourdes Floures, who is competitive with male candidates in early polling. On the trail of Johnson-Sirleaf’s boundary- breaking election, Edith Nawakwi is a strong contender for the presidency of Zambia.

Along with these upcoming elections, two more examples of female leadership could really tip the scales for a more representative government. In the 2008 American presidential election, several potential female candidates, including likely candidate Senator Hillary Clinton and dark horse candidate Condoleeza Rice, would give America its first female executive and a great example to burgeoning democracies. Finally, in the forefront of the war on terror, Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections yielded a quarter of the potential seats to women. Even in one of the more chaotic states in the world, the strength of female leadership broke through cultural and historical barriers.

This issue is so significant is that there is a greater need for more representative governments in our increasingly globalized politics. At all levels, an influx of balanced leadership would provide reasoned dialogue on issues transcending gender, race, and wealth. Woman leaders represent all of those factors in which voters yearn for, if only because they have been excluded and exhibit creativity in being politically involved. Most past and present woman leaders exhibit bold leadership, present fresh ideas, and have an “outsider” perspective on politics. In the 21st century, elections should progress beyond the definition of what a person is, but what they will do as leaders and stewards of good government, as examples of responsible governance to future generations.