Former United States President Barack Obama has said the world could improve if women were given the opportunity to lead governments for two years.
Obama made the remarks during a discussion with presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin at Salem State University in Massachusetts. He said he had thought about the idea even while serving in the White House.
“Even when I was president, I sometimes fantasised about if you put women in charge of every government for like two years and then just kind of saw, all right, how are things going?” Obama said, during a discussion with presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin at Salem State University.
He added that women would not create perfect governments, but he believed the results would be better.
“I have a strong belief that things would, they wouldn’t be perfect, but they’d be better. I’m confident about that,” he said.
He also made a similar argument during a leadership event in Singapore in 2019. At the time, he said the world could see better living standards, improved outcomes for children and less conflict if women led every country for a period of time.
He also criticised older leaders who refuse to leave positions of power. Obama said many problems were connected to “old men clinging to power” instead of giving younger people and diverse groups a chance to lead.
His comments have renewed debate about whether women govern differently from men. Supporters say women leaders often give greater attention to healthcare, education, welfare and the needs of vulnerable communities.
A report by King’s College London also found that women policymakers often prioritise issues that can create more equal societies.
However, critics argue that leadership should be judged by policies and results, rather than gender.
Former President Donald Trump dismissed Obama’s idea as “ridiculous”, saying a leader’s performance depends on individual ability and decisions.
Africa has several examples of women who have held the highest offices. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Liberia’s president in 2006 and was Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state.
She led the country during its recovery from civil war and helped oversee its response to the Ebola crisis. In 2011, she shared the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting women’s rights.
Joyce Banda served as Malawi’s president, while Catherine Samba-Panza became president of the Central African Republic.
Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde became the country’s first female president in 2018. Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan became the country’s first woman president in 2021.
Kenya has not yet elected a woman as president. However, women continue to gain influence in national and county leadership.
Seven women were elected governors in the 2022 elections, including Anne Waiguru, Gladys Wanga, Susan Kihika and Kawira Mwangaza.
Martha Koome became Kenya’s first female Chief Justice in 2021. Other Kenyan women, including Charity Ngilu, Martha Karua and Wangari Maathai, have also played important roles in politics, public service and national leadership.
Obama’s remarks do not suggest that all women leaders would govern in the same way. Instead, they highlight the need for more inclusive leadership and equal opportunities for women to influence decisions that affect society.