Female leaders who have reached the top should be admired for getting to where they are. And while Gaby Hinsliff makes many excellent points about the expectations placed on female leaders (Remember when having women in power was supposed to change everything?, 15 August), I believe we shouldn’t stop acknowledging their achievements for getting there in the first place – especially as we are still so far from gender parity.
The fact is, women continue to face unnecessary additional challenges throughout their careers, whether in business or politics. Although in recent decades we have seen signs of progress, with some female leaders elected and more businesses committing to achieving gender parity, the actual pace of change has been glacial at best.
We are already seeing signs of backwards steps as people become complacent with gender parity and progress. The Pipeline’s latest Women Count report revealed that female representation in FTSE 350 executive roles fell for the first time in eight years. And the recent backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion will have only set us back further.
People such as Jacinda Ardern and Angela Merkel shouldn’t be idolised just because they are women. They should be idolised for their tenacity in forging a path to a position where women are still a small minority. We can support female leaders’ achievements and still critique their execution.
And just because a few women have “made it” doesn’t mean we should stop there – we are still a long way from the finish line and can’t afford to rest on our laurels yet.
Prof Geeta Nargund
Chair, The Pipeline
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