Glimmers of Hope
We need to #stayhomestaysafe, but the last week brought us some good news. Much of it is thanks to the women leading us through this crisis. It may be some time before we return to some semblance of normal, or we may have to forge a new normal post-pandemic. Either way, women have and will continue to lead their constituents with sense, science, and grace.
Forbes has asked the question that, perhaps, should be evident across media outlets: are female leaders better at managing the COVID-19 pandemic? While it is, at this time, difficult to make causal claims about the gender of a nation’s leader and that nation’s coronavirus-related outcomes, there do seem to be some early patterns. A similar Guardian article rightly distinguishes between correlation and causation, suggesting that “being a woman doesn’t automatically make you better at handling a pandemic.” But, they counter, “women generally have to be better in order to become leaders; we are held to far higher standards than men.” Whatever we learn after the virus has receded, I’m very glad to have the examples of national leaders like Jacinda Arden, Tsai Ing-Wen, and Mette Fredericksen.
Closer to home, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an early stay-at-home order for her state, and just this week reinforced many of the regulations regarding business operations and travel (even to vacation homes within the state), and imposed fines for flouting the new strictures. She has faced substantial backlash for her aggressive approach to social distance regulation. Her aim, as she has made clear in her press conferences, is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (currently concentrated around Detroit) to northern and rural areas, which have fewer medical resources. This might seem like a strong position for a Democratic executive in a swing state, but Whitmer has made a name for herself through this crisis. She has also been able to report a recent and small downward trend in confirmed cases and death related to the virus, which she cautiously terms “glimmers of hope.”
Finally, the curve seems to be flattening in the Bay Area. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, recently and excellently profiled by The Atlantic, was way ahead of that curve. She shut down the city in late February rather than wait for disaster to strike. It was her leadership, some suggest, that ultimately resulted in the shutdown of national sports leagues, which likely stopped the virus from transmitting to thousands of additional individuals. There is a now-familiar adage: if we act soon enough, it will look like we overreacted. Nearly seven weeks ago, Breed was accused of overreacting. Only thirteen COVID-related deaths have occurred in San Franciso and the city has emerged as a national model for early, assertive action. Hopefully, more leaders will follow Breed’s example, more curves in cities and communities nationwide will flatten, and we’ll be able to report more and more glimmers of hope in the coming weeks.
-Lauren