Female Political Leaders Research Articles

Social Media Shaping Youth’s Perception of Moroccan Female Political Leaders

This paper addresses the role of social media consumption amongst youth and its implications in shaping their perceptions of Moroccan female political leaders. Based on examining previous scholarly works, this research investigates a large body of literature including how social media platforms impacts youth’s engagement in political and civic activities. The role of social media in shaping perceptions about female political leaders is also discussed from a theoretical standpoint. Aiming to identify, the influence of a number of identified form the literature, this paper adopted a quantitative strategy utilizing a survey that was addressed to (N=309) participant targeted on both social media platforms and within university campus. Based on the descriptives, the correlation analysis and regression analysis of the data gathered, this study identified that the level of education, social media exposure, online interactions, political awareness, and cultural factors significantly influence youth’s perceptions of female political leaders. These findings highlight the factors influencing young adults’ perceptions about the Moroccan political landscape and the importance of media education and literacy to enhance critical thinking skills amongst Moroccan youth.

Female political leaders and R&D investment

This study employs a difference-in-differences method to analyse how female political leaders affect corporate R&D investment. Our findings indicate that female political leaders exert a positive influence on R&D investments. Moreover, these positive effects are more pronounced among high-tech firms and those operating in developed economies, although they appear to be less significant for defence firms. Additionally, we demonstrate that the presence of female leaders correlates with a reduced rate of inventor emigration to other economies, suggesting that female leadership may contribute to the retention of skilled inventors. Consistent with these primary results, firms exhibit a decrease in R&D investment following the departure of female political leaders from office. Furthermore, during the tenure of female leaders, firms also tend to reduce their cash holdings. We explore potential channels and observe that female leadership results in less external conflict and thus promote R&D investment.

Neoliberal Feminism and Political Leadership: The Representation of Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein in Popular Culture

Building on a long tradition of studies on the intertwining of politics and popular culture, the article examines the representation of the two Italian political leaders of the moment, Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein, offered by women’s magazines. The study focuses in particular on two interrelated aspects: on the one hand, the extent to which the discursive strategies to talk about the leaders, their personal lives, careers and ideas contribute to strengthen the contemporary hegemony on feminism; on the other hand, the discursive strategies used to represent the leaders through a frame of competition typical of the neoliberalism. Indeed, we refer to the most recent trends in feminism research, contested among post-feminism, neoliberal feminism and celebrity feminism. Within this framework, we examined whether and how female political leaders can become icons of life, style and power in a way that is functional to the neoliberal narrative. The critical discourse analysis conducted on eight Italian women’s magazines over the course of a year makes it possible to highlight some results that contribute to the reflection on neoliberal feminism and female leadership. In particular, leaders are presented through argumentative strategies of genealogism, exceptionalism and compensation: the ways in which magazines justify their position of power refer to family relationships and character qualities, emphasizing the characteristics closest to the neoliberal model and overshadowing all others, including political ideas. Rather, leaders are deradicalized and depoliticized to favour instead a reassuring narrative in which women have broken the glass ceiling. In that way, women’s magazines renounce representing women leaders for their ideas and ideologies, and instead focus on their unique mark of difference: their gender.

Do female political leaders make the environment greener? Evidence from the United States

PurposeThis study examines the effect of female governors (gender effect) on environmental performance in terms of state-level carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in United States.Design/methodology/approachThe study used annual data from 1970 to 2020 to investigate the relationship between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. Hypothesis was tested through ordinary least squares regression (OLS). The results of the study were also validated using propensity score matching and a difference-in-difference approach.FindingsThis study provides empirical insights into the relationship between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. The findings indicate that female governors have a significant negative impact on state-level CO2 emissions per capita. These results suggest that female political leadership is associated with a reduction in CO2 emissions per capita at the state level. The results also show that states under the leadership of female governors experience lower levels of CO2 emissions than those with male governors, indicating female leadership’s potential to promote environmental sustainability.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study have practical implications for policymakers, government officials, and other stakeholders involved in the formulation of strategies to promote environmental sustainability. This study highlights the significant role that female political leader play in mitigating CO2 emissions at the state level. It suggests that promoting female in political leadership positions can lead to more environmentally conscious policy decisions and actions, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions per capita. Policymakers should actively encourage women’s participation in leadership roles to utilize their potential contributions to advancing sustainability goals. Furthermore, organizations that focus on environmental issues should prioritize supporting and promoting female leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability. Ultimately, this study highlights the need for female in political leadership as a potential strategy to address environmental challenges and advance a more sustainable future.Originality/valueThis study pioneers research on the links between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the potential role of female political leaders in promoting environmental sustainability. Overall, this study enriches the social role and upper echelons theories literature through empirical evidence.

Looking for a Third Way. Tsai Ing-wen and the Taiwanese Nation-Building

Tsai Ing-wen, the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 2016–2024, is one of Asia’s most extraordinary female political leaders. A self-made woman who managed to enter politics independently – she was not born into a political family as is usually the case in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia – and who succeeded in her presidency. Tsai has enhanced the global profile of her country and impressed the world by combating the COVID-19 pandemic in a model way. She has also skillfully handled delicate cross-strait relations despite Beijing’s growing assertiveness. Tsai and her presidency are important for several reasons; the one highlighted here is her role in enhancing and trying to modify Taiwanese nation-building. During her presidency, Tsai Ing-wen advocated a “Third Way,” officially called “21st Century Taiwan’s Overall Cultural Construction”, based on accepting both the Taiwaneseness and the heritage of the Republic of China and merging both of these features. In other words, it emphasizes Taiwaneseness while not rejecting Chineseness. This is an interesting and bold attempt to forge a compromised identity, but one with an uncertain future due to domestic and international variables.

Insecurity and Support for Female Leadership in Conflict States: Evidence from Afghanistan

Abstract While women's political inclusion is central to international conflict resolution efforts, public attitudes in conflict states towards women's political inclusion remain understudied. We expect insecurity to depress support for female political leadership in conflicts where women's political inclusion is violently contested. Citizens wanting security through force prefer male leaders because of stereotypes privileging men's military prowess. However, citizens wanting security through reconciliation also favour men for fear that female leadership would provoke more violence. We assess these expectations with experimental and observational data from the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. In the survey experiment, priming respondents to think about insecurity decreases support for female leadership, but only among women. In observational data, insecurity correlates with more polarized attitudes towards women's political representation in some regions and greater support for female leaders in others. Insecurity's impact on public support for female leadership in conflict states may be highly heterogeneous.

The construction and legitimation of Elisa Loncón as a Mapuche female political leader on Instagram

Abstract This study analyzed the multimodal discursive strategies Elisa Loncón, a Mapuche linguist and renowned academic, used on Instagram to position herself as a sociopolitical leader during her tenure as president of the Chilean Constitutional Convention. 811 Instagram posts from her account were downloaded from 15 January 2021 until 15 January 2022. From this, 81 of the most interacted posts were selected and used to examine her multimodal discursive strategies while drawing on the Discourse-Historical Approach (Reisigl and Wodak 2001, 2016). The results revealed three main themes: (1) the construction of an alternative leadership, (2) visibilization of female leadership decision-making, and (3) a vindication of linguistic rights. Referential and intensification strategies were particularly salient, and they were used to legitimize her role and foreground her Mapuche ancestry. These findings highlight how female political leaders (and their intersecting identities) strategically deploy their communication practices to resist sexism and racism.

Self-promotion, ideology and power in the social media posts of Nigerian Female Political Leaders

Abstract This article examines how Nigerian female political leaders (NFPLs) exploit self-presentation strategies to formulate and promote social justice. Using insights from critical discourse analysis and Jones and Pittman’s (1982) self-presentation strategies, and with a data set from the verified Facebook and Twitter accounts of two female ministers and three female senators, the study investigates how NFPLs systematically utilize discursive strategies such as self-promotion, ingratiation, exemplification, intimidation and supplication to present themselves as a powerful voice for the voiceless and as active alternative leaders. The study argues that the strategies help the leaders to amplify their authority by showcasing personal presence and past accomplishments, appealing to the concerns of the masses and soliciting their support in future elections. The study demonstrates that these strategies project female leaders as dynamic participants in political and public decision-making processes and positively evaluate their contributions to social change.

Examining the communication of female political leaders in the Global South

Abstract This Special Issue expands on the ongoing dialogue on the decolonial project by bringing together thought-provoking papers that examine the communication of female political leaders in the Global South. It draws on data from West Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East to elucidate how female politicians deploy language (including multimodal forms) to position themselves in the political arena and utilize linguistic resources to navigate the discursive practices associated with their political roles and responsibilities. The issue offers a critical discursive perspective on the complex interplay of gender, culture and political leadership, and holds implications for how key issues such as voice, agency, solidarity and empowerment are conceptualized and enacted in specific sociocultural contexts. It also contributes to overcoming epistemicide by decentring knowledge production and underscoring the importance of valuing and engaging with different knowledge systems, especially non-Western epistemologies.

Technical efficiency and its determinants in regulating adolescents’ coronavirus infection across Asian countries

The coronavirus pandemic, besides generating health distress, influences the socio-economic conditions of humankind. Every adolescent's lifestyle is affected by the virus. Healthy adolescents are not only key contributors to the forthcoming workforce but also a source of a country’s human capital. The purpose of the article is to examine the efficacy of various Asian countries in regulating the spread of the coronavirus among adolescents. In addition to that, the paper also attempts to pinpoint the prime causes of the inefficiency of a country in regulating the same. The paper also examines the behavioural changes among adolescents across Asian countries in pre-and-post pandemic times. In this context, the study identifies the impact of adolescents’ tobacco consumption, female political leadership, and accreditation on a country’s efficacy to regulate adolescents’ coronavirus infection. The study’s empirical analysis covers twenty-one Asian countries. By using the Panel Stochastic Production Frontier, the study concludes that Kazakhstan is the most efficient country and Afghanistan is the least efficient country on the list. The inefficiency effects estimates conclude that adolescents’ tobacco consumption decreases and good governance practices increase the efficiency of a country in regulating the spread of adolescent coronavirus infection. Additionally, the paper finds no significant behavioural changes among adolescents in pre-and-post pandemic times across Asian countries. The paper concludes with appropriate policy recommendations supported by empirical evidence. The paper also identifies its shortcomings and suggests potential future lines of inquiry.

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE KEY STEREOTYPING ELEMENTS THE MALAYSIAN JOURNALISTS WRITE AGAINST A FEMALE POLITICIAN

Abstract: The representation of female politicians in media is an ongoing issue that reflects the larger problem of gender imbalance in politics and the media. The representation of women in political leadership roles and in media coverage of politics is improving along with recent awareness on this issue. Thus, this study aims to investigate the key stereotyping elements on Malaysian journalists who write against a female politician. This study employed a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews to extract information by interviewing 11 Malaysian journalists. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Based on the findings, Malaysian journalists develop the key stereotyping elements in writing against female political leaders based on their respective reporting styles. Besides, most informants in this study realise and acknowledge that female politicians are being underrepresented. This has become one of the key stereotyping elements that Malaysian journalists practice when writing about female politicians. It is not surprising that the informants acknowledge that men always have the upper hand, especially in politics. Hence, one of the key stereotyping elements that Malaysian journalists write against female politicians is revolved on the male dominance and male confidence in politics. Lastly, nature of politics is identified as one of the key stereotyping elements that Malaysian journalists write against female political leaders. This stems from the mixed reactions from the politicians regardless of gender and the fact that politicians are politicians.
 Keywords: Media; Stereotyping Elements; Malaysian Journalists, Female Politician; Qualitative Study

Female gender stereotyping and President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s political communication on Twitter: a blessing for female political leaders?

ABSTRACT This paper explores the Twitter communication of Tanzania’s first female President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Informed largely by African feminism, this study explores the relationship between Samia’s political discourse and gender perspectives on her Twitter account within the frame of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. Specifically, this study looked at the construction of her identity and leadership attributes as the country’s first female leader and found that her identity, ‘Mama Samia’, signals respect that evokes the African conception of a respected mother. Indeed, even though gender-constructed feminine roles as mother take precedence, gradually her stature as a national leader is eroding these stereotype labels a handful of hostile sexist comments notwithstanding. In effect, the president’s leadership attributes as constructed in her Twitter discourse are more feminine than masculine. Yet, it is these same feminine attributes of nurturance, wisdom, humility, humanity, collaborative-ness, calmness and politeness that present more of an advantage than a disadvantage in her leadership. Overall, netizens have been accommodative of these feminine attributes, which they find to be effective in addressing pressing national issues in the economy, political and social sectors.

The Influence of Gender and Representation: Assessing the Impact of Female Political Leaders in Different Countries

The Influence of Gender and Representation: Assessing the Impact of Female Political Leaders in Different Countries

Circling the Wagons: How Perceived Injustice Increases Female Bureaucrats’ Support for Female Political Leaders

AbstractDoes female bureaucratic support for female political leaders change over time? Existing research focuses on factors that vary across countries. Little work examines how contingent events within a context impact gender-based solidarity. Drawing on collective identity theory, we argue that high-profile incidents of perceived gender-based injustice against a female president could increase female bureaucrats’ support for the leader. To explore this, we leverage a unique setting of a female president's impeachment in South Korea to assess the relationship between gender and bureaucrats’ support. Examining support for President Park before and after the impeachment, we find that her impeachment has a gendered impact on support, with female bureaucrats’ support increasing and male bureaucratic support remaining unchanged. Furthermore, mediation analysis provides suggestive evidence that the result operates through a heightened sense of injustice. Our findings suggest that support for female political leaders varies not only across countries, but also shifts within governments.

You’re the One That She Wants (To Be)? Female Political Leaders and Women’s Entrepreneurial Activity

You’re the One That She Wants (To Be)? Female Political Leaders and Women’s Entrepreneurial Activity

SDG5 Gender Equality during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international comparative policy assessment

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions in healthcare systems and societies and exacerbated existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere. Our study explores health systems responses to gender equality goals during the COVID-19 pandemic and which role these goals play in pandemic recovery policies. Methods We apply a qualitative comparative approach. Country case studies (expert information, secondary sources) were collected in March/April 2022. The sample comprised Australia, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom and USA, reflecting conditions of high to upper-middle income countries with established public health systems, democratic political institutions and gender equality policies. Selected topics: maternity care/reproductive services, violence against women, and gender equality/female leadership. Results All countries tried to keep essential maternity and reproductive services open, but strong limitations applied especially for prevention and counselling services; at the same time, digitalisation/telemedicine supported service expansion. Violence against women and children strongly increased during the pandemic. Routine services were partly kept open and new helplines occasionally established, but no action was taken to scale-up mental health support and respond to new demand. A push-back of gender equality was observed across countries in all areas of health and social care, often coupled with strong increase in intersecting social inequalities; participation of women in decision-making bodies was generally weak and not monitored. Conclusions Across countries, gender equality policies cracked under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic; this is true for countries with male and female political leaders, and for different areas of SDG5 and health. There is an urgent need for more effective intersectional gender equality policies and improved participation of women in global health and in health system recovery plans. Key messages • Health systems failed to take action to protect SDG5 goals; gender and intersecting inequalities strongly increased during the pandemic. • Building back better after COVID-19 will only be possible with an intersectional gender equality programme and feminist policy approaches.

Power in the Post-Civil War Period: The Effect of Armed Conflict and Gender Quotas on Women in Political Leadership Positions

Abstract While research has shown that civil wars often significantly increase women's representation in politics, we know little about the long-term effect on women holding political leadership positions in post-civil war countries. We develop a new theoretical approach to explain how quotas affect women's long-term representation in post-civil war governments. We observe a higher share of women in cabinets after the end of civil wars. We argue that the interaction of civil wars and gender quotas that provide a legal framework for a certain share of women in political office makes it especially likely that women can retain long-term political power. In contrast, the effect on women's leadership over time is smaller in post-civil war countries without a quota. Utilizing a novel data set of female executive-branch leaders in sub-Saharan African countries from 2001 to 2018, we empirically test whether women in post-civil war countries have managed to gain a long-term hold on the progress they made in representation. Our findings show that for cabinet positions, the interplay of gender quota and civil war explains female political leaders’ longevity in post-civil war countries. This research has implications for understanding post-civil war situations and the conditions under which women retain political power.

Female political leaders in Spanish popular culture: Institutionalized feminism in Isabel (TVE1, 2012–14)

A successful Spanish TV show, Isabel (three seasons, 2012–14; broadcasted through the national TV channel La 1) recovers an important female political figure in Spanish history, Isabella I of Castile – the Catholic monarch – as a powerful leader who achieved the unification of Spain and the expansion of a true empire during the fifteenth century. This recovery is not naïve, but fully charged with ideological positions that are played out in Spain’s current context. By virtue of being a woman – in fact, one of the most formidable female figures in Spanish history – the show brings to the fore questions regarding the relationship between gender and power both in the past and present history of Spain. Reference to her government allows drawing connections with the current state of affairs, most notoriously the mainstreaming of a Spanish gender agenda. It is our contention that the show’s chronological progression from a life devoted to attaining and consolidating power to the aspiration of having love and family, as well as the casting choices and characterization of the main protagonist, reveal ongoing political debates regarding the Spanish institutionalization of feminism and the prevalence of an understanding of feminism in line with a neo-liberal logic.

Women's political leadership and efficiency in reducing COVID-19 death rate: An application of technical inefficiency effects model across Indian states

Evidence from earlier studies on COVID-19 suggests that the countries led by female leaders were more successful in handling the COVID-19. India being a patrilocal society evident that women's political autonomy in the Gram Panchayat does miracles concerning development. With this backdrop, the present paper aims to explore the role of women's political participation and leadership on the efficiency in reducing the COVID-19 death rate for Indian states. This predominantly empirical paper is entirely based on secondary data compiled from different sources. The empirical analysis of the paper is facilitated by the utilization of the Technical Inefficiency Effects model within the framework of Stochastic Production Frontier. The empirical results accredit us to conclude that the efficiency of the Indian states in reducing the COVID-19 death rate is highly influenced by female political participation and leadership, digitalization, urbanization, and literacy rate. The study ends with suitable policy prescriptions.

Black, Female, and Divorced: A Discourse Analysis of Wangarĩ Maathai’s Leadership with Reflections from Naleli Morojele‘s Study of Rwandan and South African Female Political Leaders

Marriage and divorce are factors that impact female leadership in Africa. Women are defined by their roles as wives and mothers and less as leaders. There is a dearth of research on the influence of marriage and divorce on female leadership in Africa. Most studies have focused on the societal importance of marriage and the negative effects of divorce on families. Using Wangarĩ Maathai’s biography Unbowed, this paper explores the role of marriage and divorce and their intersection with Maathai’s leadership. To enrich the analysis, I introduce insights from Naleli Morojele’s study of Rwandan and South African female political leaders. African feminist thought, transformative leadership theory, and African concepts of marriage and divorce form the theoretical framework. The main findings indicate that Maathai’s leadership is transformative. African feminism recognizes the role of men in women’s equality. Female leadership has increased in Africa, though it contends with socio-cultural attitudes and colonial legacies that fuel its skepticism. Marriage is a duty and the focus of existence in African thought and divorce is synonymous with failure. Women’s disunity on gender issues is problematic. Female leadership is very demanding and costly to family relationships. These findings are important in identifying gaps between policy and social attitudes on female leadership in Africa.