Gender and Leadership: Concepts, Contexts, and Comparative Approaches

Abstract

With the recent increase of women in leadership positions across different branches of government and levels of governance worldwide, it is vital to critically reevaluate the concept of leadership and related terms, as well as their underlying cultural norms and values. This panel brings together conceptual approaches and comparative perspectives that critically reflect on leadership ideals in different political and cultural contexts and their implications on men’s and women’s ascendance to and exercise of leadership. In particular, the panel will focus on conceptualizations and public perceptions of masculinity and femininity in different leadership contexts, including the US presidency, the Swedish Parliament, the Latin American region, and the Baltic states. It will further examine the gendered nature of leadership through particularly male-dominated policy areas such as foreign and security policy. The panel will provide a comprehensive panorama of the contested nature of conceptualizing gender and leadership across different contexts and political domains through these lenses and comparative perspectives.

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