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Transcript/ScriptWOMEN LEADERS RESIGN (TV)
HEADLINE: Female Leaders Stepping Down From High-Profile Jobs
TEASER: From politics to business, women across the globe are re-evaluating work
PUBLISHED AT: 02/22/2023 at 7:45 pm
BYLINE: LAUREL BOWMAN
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Bowman, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S):
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:11
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE:))
((INTRO))
[[Around the world, prominent women are leaving their jobs to pursue other interests and focus on other priorities. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has our story.]]
((NARRATOR))
Some of the world’s female leaders are quitting.
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon recently announced her resignation as first minister, citing the heavy personal toll of political life.
((Nicola Sturgeon, Former Scottish First Minister))
“Since my very first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else.”
((NARRATOR))
Yes, her party has stumbled in its push for Scottish independence. But Sturgeon proudly stated that she wanted to spend more time with family.
((Nats, Ardern))
“It will help us to build a future...”
((NARRATOR))
In New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern stepped down in January as prime minister. While rising inflation had dented her party's popularity, Ardern cited the demands of motherhood as a top reason for leaving.
((Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister))
"I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.”
((NARRATOR))
In the U.S. House of Representatives, politician Nancy Pelosi in November relinquished her role as the top House Democrat, and in Africa, head of the Ethiopian Supreme Court Meaza Ashenafi resigned in January.
Is this the great resignation of women leaders?
((For radio only: Rangita de Silva de Alwis is an expert on the discrimination against women at Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security.))
((Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security)) ((Mandatory Skype))
“I think what we see in the great resignations of women leaders is that the ecosystem is not women friendly. I think it’s important for us to look at these structures and systems and institutions that were historically created and defined by men, that they are no longer sustainable.”
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, research by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company suggests that women in business want better pay and more flexibility at work and are prepared to switch jobs to get it … and they are more likely to want to work from home, perhaps to care for family members.
((For radio only: Again, Rangita de Silva de Alwis))
((Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security))
((Mandatory Skype))
“I think it is getting more acceptable to be a caretaker in leadership.”
((NARRATOR))
And some research shows that the less gentle and more assertive a woman leader seems, the more unlikeable she is perceived to be, even by other women. Former Malawi President Joyce Banda told the Guardian newspaper that her biggest critics tended to be women.
But it’s not all downhill for women in leadership. Experts say the trend in part-time work in Europe will help women, as well as quotas for female representation in business. And they say many cultures are more accustomed to having to female leaders.
((For radio only: Alice Evans studies women leaders and lectures at both Harvard and Yale universities))
((Alice Evans, Gender History Expert))
“In cultures where female leadership has long been institutionalized, such as in Scandinavia, there is very high support for female leaders, and indeed, almost half their leadership is female.”
((NARRATOR))
Upon handing over the gavel, former Speaker of the House Pelosi marveled at how many more women are serving in the chamber than when she joined 35 years ago.
((Laurel Bowman, VOA NEWS, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Wahington D. C.
Embargo DateFebruary 23, 2023 01:50 EST
Byline((Laurel Bowman, VOA NEWS, Washington))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
