Leadership / Are women better leaders than men?

PresenterWould you like to be led by an all-women team? What is it like to be a woman leader in a man's world?

Smolovic JonesA huge risk is attached to undertaking leadership positions when you're a woman, because you are judged on the basis of prejudice prejudice linked to your gender.PresenterWe are going to look at what it takes to be a woman who leads. There might be lessons in it for men too.

And the picture that made headlines around the world: some of the leaders of Finland's new coalition government... ...notable for their gender and the way this informs their policy and leadership.

All five leaders were women all but one were under the age of 35 when they took power in December 2019. Sanna Marin, at the age of 34, became Finland's youngest ever Prime Minister.

Finland has a record of leading when it comes to women's rights: the first country in the world to give full voting rights to women, and one used to females in positions of power. The women say there are pitfalls to having an all-female team.Sanna MarinWhat we want is not to reproduce the excluding structures that men have used as women, but really, kind of, to change those structures.

PresenterAnd there have been disagreements between the leaders, but Finland won praise for its early handling of the coronavirus pandemic, like some other female-led countries.

And the government is pushing an ambitious equality programme, that gives greater rights to trans people, encourages parents to share caring responsibilities and closes the gender pay gap. So, what does Finland's example tell us about female leadership in a man's world?

Smolovic JonesAll women in the 'Finnish Five' coalition have, kind of, experiential understanding of, you know, exclusion and marginalisation and living in hardship. And I think that also makes them, you know, understand, care and value it more, as well as inclusion and solidarity.PresenterThe Finnish leaders put care at the heart of the decisions they make and goals they set.Dr Nela Smolovic JonesBut actually working towards that goal involves perseverance, and working through differences, and working through conflict, and trying to find a way around and through all these differences, like political affiliation or beliefs or, you know, your stances and so on.

I think women are experientially made to work in that way from their early age and they don't just give up on the first hurdle but, you know, persevere.PresenterThe Finnish leaders have different political beliefs, but they persevere to work through their differences together.

Smolovic JonesA huge risk is attached to undertaking leadership positions when you're a woman, because you are judged on the basis of prejudice prejudice linked to your gender.