The World Is Losing Trust in Women Leaders

Women are reaching the top of politics and business in record numbers. So why is confidence in them stagnating?

Illustration: Jill Senft for Bloomberg

In some ways, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the woman leader.

In March, Namibia got its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. In October, Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister. And in November, Catherine Connolly was elected president of Ireland — in a race where her main rival was also a woman.