Helen Clark on Why the World Needs More Women to Tackle Global Crises

Helen Clark discusses gender and leadership

Helen Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand

Helen Clark gained global recognition in 1999 when she was elected New Zealand’s first female Prime Minister, an office she held for three consecutive terms. As one of the few female heads of state, “you tend to become more widely known than perhaps your little country size and influence would justify,” admits Clark ultimately viewed this spotlight as a benefit.

“It’s true that as a woman leader you attract probably a disproportionate amount of influence because there are so few of us,” says Clark, now Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ranking an impressive 21st on the Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Clark has experienced first-hand how gender can cut both ways when working toward the highest levels of leadership success.

What was it like for Clark as a woman working in politics around 1980?

“I came from a political family. My father had strong political opinions and politics was talked about among my relatives. It was known that previous generations of my family had strong political views too so it wasn’t unusual for me to be interested in politics.”

“Women were slowly on the rise politics in New Zealand and the year that I was elected saw the numbers of women Member of Parliament (MP) double from four to eight although out of a parliament of 92. We were a small and lonely minority. Yet there was empathy across party lines between the two conservative women MPs and six Labour women MPs. We had common interests as women in an overwhelmingly male environment where there wasn’t much expectation that women in politics would achieve much.”

What did Clark find were the challenges for her as a woman working in the majority of man environment and, subsequently, during her time serving in the highest political office in the country?

“Once I was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, I faced gender-based criticism again. People weren’t used to the prospect of a woman becoming prime minister so there were attacks about my appearance, my voice, and even my clothing. But I found that there was little point dwelling on such criticism. I just had to look straight ahead and get on with the task at hand and, by and large, that strategy worked for me.”

“Globally, the situation hasn’t got a lot better since. The number of women leaders of UN member states is typically around 20. We have the unedifying spectacle now of the G7 and the G20 with no woman leader that Angela Merkel has gone. The only woman you will likely see in the photos is Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission so there is a long way to go at the international level. New Zealand, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Denmark, all small democracies, have been ahead of the pack but I would love to see more countries catch up.”

Since Jacinda Ardern, current Prime Minister of New Zealand who became the second woman, after Clark, came to office, why has her style of leadership been so effective when addressing the pandemic issue?

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Says Real Power Is ‘About Influence, Ideas’

“During the pandemic, I think the reason women leaders did so well is that they took a people-centered approach. Where some countries tried to say, ‘We’ve got to look after the economy first,’ that was a disaster in health terms. You can’t have a strong economy when people are falling ill all around you. The priority for women leaders was to preserve the health and wellbeing of their people. It turns out that has been a great economic strategy as well. For New Zealand, for example, we have had exponentially the lowest death rate from COVID-19 in the OECD while we have also had the fifth-best economic growth rate too.”

Helen continues to be a strong voice for sustainable development, climate action, gender equality and women’s leadership, peace and justice, and action on pressing global health issues.

“I deeply detest social distinction and snobbery, and in that lies my strong aversion to titular honors.”
“I’m not into power for the sake of it.”
“If the market is left to sort matters out, social injustice will be heightened and suffering in the community will grow with the neglect the market fosters.”
“No country will reach its full potential if its female citizens do not enjoy full equality.”
“Any serious shift towards more sustainable societies has to include gender equality.”
Helen Clark

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