I’ve always imagined myself working in politics. I’ve imagined advising policy, being involved in public service, working for a greater future, but I have never imagined myself leading. I don’t think that I lack ambition, but it’s hard to envision yourself in a role that you rarely see yourself in.  

What makes a good leader? Is it their confidence? Their assertiveness? Their capacity for empathy?  

The image of what society imagines a leader to look like matters. It impacts who strives for leadership, and who gets the opportunity.  

Out of Australia’s 31 prime ministers, we have had a grand total of one woman in the top job. 

Young women, such as myself, might struggle to imagine themselves as a leader not because they lack the skills, but because patriarchy has shown us that leadership should look masculine. You need to be strong, fierce, a ‘girlboss’. 

Despite this, there are a number of women who are defying patriarchal barriers, showing the world that you don’t have to change yourself to fit the mould of what a leader ‘should look like’. 

My hope is that we continue to centre these women in our ideal of leadership.

In 2019, former US President Barack Obama said he was “absolutely confident that for two years if every nation on earth was run by women you would see a significant improvement across the board on just about everything…”  

So, what is holding us back from this utopia?  

The Glass Cliff

You might’ve heard of the ‘glass ceiling’, the invisible obstacles that hold women and other marginalised people back from the top jobs that are oversaturated with the strong, masculine image of a leader. 

The concept of the ‘Glass cliff’ describes the phenomenon when women are thrust into positions of power when an organisation is in a moment of crisis. Suddenly, stereotypical ‘feminine’ traits are called into action to mediate, problem-solve, and hold an organisation together. 

Women’s perceived ability to handle crises, carry burdens and ‘fix’ things as a mediator have led women to find themselves standing on the edge of the glass cliff. 

These are patriarchal perceptions of women that narrow us down to reductive and maternal traits that paint us as caregivers.  

Julia Gillard is often pointed to as an example of the glass cliff phenomenon. Gillard’s leadership emerged from a time of financial crisis, amid widespread distrust of the Rudd government. 

With over a decade of experience in federal politics and deputy to Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard was highly qualified for the job. What followed her election was 3 years of gendered attacks on her from the media, notably ‘bitch,’ and ‘witch’. Despite leading a highly disorganised Labor Party that contested its leadership multiple times during its term, Gillard unfairly faced gendered scrutiny. She is remembered by a few for guiding 532 pieces of legislation through a hung parliament, but by most for her misogyny speech.  

 

@abc It’s been 10 years since Julia Gillard’s infamous misogyny speech, these female politicians reflect on watching it for the first time #Australia #AusPol ♬ original sound – ABC Australia

 

Similar to Victoria’s only other female Premier, Joan Kirner, Allan wasn’t elected but appointed by her party. She was thrust into a turbulent post-pandemic political landscape that was highly distrustful of the Labor Party, Jacinta Allan’s experience as Victoria’s premier illustrates how women leaders can inherit difficult political baggage and face gendered scrutiny alongside it.

Elected unopposed by her party, Allan inherited sole responsibility for the state’s Big Build, growing public concern over crime, a mountain of debt, and ongoing corruption scandals. 

Allan wasn’t only handed difficult political conditions, she also had to navigate the kind of gendered attacks that often come with women in leadership.

In the lead-up to the state election, a billboard partly funded by the owner of a Gotham City brothel called for voters to ‘ditch the witch’, reducing Allen to a sexist caricature rather than a political leader, pushing a campaign that is devoid of genuine political debate and characterised by misogyny. 

When contrasted with harsh critics of her predecessor, Dan Andrews, the emphasis on her gender is clear. Opponents labelled Andrews “Dictator Dan” in response to the state’s COVID-19 lockdowns. While the term was an inflammatory exaggeration, the term ‘Dictator’ still maintained that Andrews was a political figure. Andrews’ critics targeted his policy, whereas Allen has been attacked with misogynistic language that dismisses her womanhood rather than her policy. 

Misogynistic attacks like this do more than insult Allan, they reinforce patriarchal narratives that centre gender as a viable point of attack. 

Andrews is remembered as a ‘warrior’ by his supporters, and a ‘dictator’ by his critics. While they carry different connotations, these labels centre strength, power and a kind of authority that is traditionally associated with masculine leadership. For Allan, the case is different. 

For young women like me, the message has been made clear: to be a woman in Australian politics means to be held to an impossible standard.  

So, what makes a good leader?  

Patriarchy has led society to envision good leadership as a leader who faces challenges ‘like a man’. 

Embracing our traits and differences from the traditional mould of a leader is not a weakness. It shows there is more than one way to be a leader. 

Perhaps the question we should be asking is why we’ve been taught that only one kind of leadership can be strong.  

Jacinda Ardern challenges the patriarchal idea that good leaders must be emotionally detached and traditionally masculine ‘trailblazers’. Rather than abandoning her values to appear strong, Jacinda Ardern embraces her humility and empathy as a strength. “It takes courage and strength to be empathetic”, she told the BBC. 

Following the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019, Ardern centred victims and gave no voice to the perpetrator. She swiftly introduced gun law reforms and demonstrated that compassion can work together with decisiveness. 

Ardern’s leadership suggests that what patriarchy will label as “feminine” qualities are not barriers to effective leadership. They can be sources of political strength. Whilst she was not immune to sexist commentary as a woman in leadership, her refusal to abandon her values despite this is what makes her a powerful challenge to patriarchal ideas about who gets to lead. 

Looking at the world today, traits that are culturally coded as ‘feminine’ could probably do us some good. 

The more we broaden our understanding of leadership, the more young women can see themselves not just as participants, but as leaders.  

So as a young woman, I will not be ruling out the prospect of leadership.