New Approaches to the Study of Gender and Leadership: Theoretical and Methodological Cross-Fertilization

Abstract

It is well documented that women political leaders have been disadvantaged in the appointment to leadership positions while also facing more negative treatment once holding high-profile leading positions. The recent increase in women’s political representation coupled with examples of women ascending to prominent leading positions, such as Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde, and Roberta Metsola, has spurred a scholarly interest in gender and leadership, whether in national or supranational contexts. Yet, this recent trend cannot obscure that women’s political representation and gender-inclusive policy-making in Europe is still still low, unevenly distributed, and contested. This is particularly evident in the face of the growing influence of right-wing and anti-gender populism. Simultaneously, the recent and unparalleled crises have propelled Europe into a phase of deep transformation. Contemporary political leadership increasingly requires multidimensional, collective, and gender-inclusive approaches, transcending conventional understandings of leadership and gender in leadership in new contexts. This panel brings together experts in the study of gender and leadership, offering novel syntheses of structural, organizational, and agency-based perspectives. The papers presented will provide fresh insights into the interplay between gender and leadership, spanning both national and supranational arenas in Europe and encompassing executive and legislative branches. Papers will also explore the importance of the institutional context for women’s leadership conditions and manifestations. Additionally, the papers will present innovative perspectives on gender and intersectionality in relation to leadership, such as the intersection of right-wing populism and gender equality, as well as the oppositional and governing dimension in interactions between ministers and MPs. In doing so, the panel seeks to enrich the field of gender and politics with a more profound understanding of conditions for contemporary political leadership, its evolving dynamics, and the gendered nature of these processes.

Title	Details
Women in Female-Led Executives: The Meloni Cabinet in Comparative Perspective	View Paper Details
Treated equally or still facing masculine privilege? Parliamentary questioning of women (and men) ministers in a gender balanced context	View Paper Details
Gendered patterns of legislative oversight – how men and women MPs contribute to unequal working conditions for men and women ministers	View Paper Details
Women Leaders in the European Union: How Institutional Design Impacts their Leadership Strategies	View Paper Details