Here's why women leaders are successful in fighting against COVID-19

Looking at different nations, it is the countries led by women who are successfully combating the COVID-19 pandemic. There's New Zealand's Jacinda Arden, Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen, and Germany's Angela Merkel just to name a few leaders proactively beating COVID-19.

A University of Liverpool research that studied 194 countries said those with the most effective and immediate response to COVID-19 were countries led by women.

Aside from having lower COVID-19 cases and death rates, these women-led countries also had a higher number of tests conducted compared to countries led by men.

Countries led by women also had a higher recovery rate or number of those who healed from the virus.

According to the study, these women leaders were seen to have a proactive approach in implementing policies and systematic preparation against the pandemic.

In Taiwan for instance, President Tsai Ing-Wen closed the borders much earlier to stop the spread of the virus and immediately set out funding to study the virus.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden implemented decisive and empathetic actions. In her Facebook Live sessions, Arden would explain her policies against the pandemic to her people.Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg also had this approach, and would directly talk and answer the youth's questions regarding the crisis.

In Iceland, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdóttir gave free mass testing in her entire country while Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel put importance in strengthening the country's health infrastructure.

According to University of the Philippines-Department of Political Science Associate Professor Jean Franco, there's a reason why women are succeeding amid a health crisis that has affected the rest of the world.

"Kaya rin kasi naha-highlight ang mga kababaihang lider, in contrast doon sa mga world leaders halimbawa tulad ni Trump, ni Pangulong Duterte, ni Bolsonaro sa Brazil na medyo macho, no? Macho at militarized 'yung pagrespond nila sa pandemic," Franco said.

("That's why these women leaders are being highlighted, in contrast to other world leaders like Trump, President Duterte, Bolsonaro of Brazil that are macho, no? They respond to the pandemic in a macho and militarized way.")

She added, "The fact they are more consultative, and the fact that they have a grasp on the issue in the sense that they listen to science siguro 'yun 'yun, no? Kumbaga they refuse to politicize the issue."

("The fact they are more consultative, and the fact that they have a grasp on the issue in the sense that they listen to science, I guess that's it, right? They refuse to politicize the issue.")

Women leaders are said to have empathy, Franco said, but this quality isn't just for women, but for any leader whatever their gender may be.

Last January, President Rodrigo Duterte said during his speech that the presidency is not for women. Many women leaders all over the globe, however, continue to prove the opposite.  

Although women leaders around the world have proven that they are very capable to not only in leading nations, but in leading them successfully in the face of crisis, there are only 22 leaders currently in position around the world. — Kaela Malig/LA, GMA News