Gender, Leadership and Representative Democracy
The Differential Impacts of the Global Pandemic
in Democratic TheoryAll currencies in US Dollar
Abstract
That effective leadership is crucial during global emergencies is uncontested. However what that leadership looks like, and how it plays out in different contexts is less straightforward. In representative democracy, diversity is considered to be a key element for true representation of the society. In addition, previous research has unequivocally demonstrated the positive impacts of gender equality in leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare some of the real world implications of gender inequalities in the leadership context. In this article, we examine the differential impacts of COVID-19 on women, and reflect on potential pathways for women's active participation.
Contributor Notes
Kim Rubenstein is professor and co-director (academic) of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation at the University of Canberra, Faculty of Business, Government and Law. ORCID:
Trish Bergin is co-director (governance) of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation at the University of Canberra, Faculty of Business, Government and Law. E-mail: Trish.Bergin@canberra.edu.au
Pia Rowe is a research fellow with the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation at the University of Canberra, Faculty of Business, Government and Law. E-mail: pia.rowe@canberra.edu.au