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Opinion
Stefanie K. Johnson

2021 Is a Tipping Point for Female Leaders

Female-led countries like New Zealand, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Taiwan have fared better during Covid-19.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern showed Covid-19 who’s boss.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern showed Covid-19 who’s boss.

Photographer: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Will 2021 be the year that leadership becomes feminine?

As the year begins, there are more top female leaders than ever before. In the U.S., about a quarter of the legislature is female. Kamala Harris just became the first woman Vice President. Half of the Biden-Harris administration’s cabinet is female — another first. Women leaders are making gains in business as well. For the first time in history, all S&P 500 firms have at least one female board member. The number of women CEOs in the S&P 500 hit an all-time high (though still only 7.8%) at the end of 2020.