The Quiet Power Of Women’s Leadership in Government – PA TIMES Online

Report on Women’s Leadership in Public Administration and its Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Re-evaluating Public Sector Leadership for Sustainable Development

Traditional models of leadership in public administration, which prioritize hierarchy and policy outcomes, are inadequate for addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century. This report examines an alternative leadership style, often practiced by women, that emphasizes relational networks and collaborative governance. This approach is critical for achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to gender equality, strong institutions, and effective partnerships.

Advancing SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions through Relational Networks

The development of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions (SDG 16) requires leadership that extends beyond formal authority. Research indicates that women in public service frequently build and maintain informal networks that are vital for institutional resilience and effectiveness.

Fostering Collaborative Governance

Doctoral research into collaborative governance between public and nonprofit entities reveals that female middle managers are instrumental in building trust across organizational silos. They leverage informal communication and coalition-building to transform fragmented resources into collective capacity. This network-based approach directly supports the objectives of SDG 16.6 by creating more effective and accountable institutions.

Enhancing Institutional Capacity and Inclusion

These informal networks serve as critical infrastructure for innovation, inclusion, and mutual support, particularly in resource-constrained public service environments. By fostering a shared sense of purpose and accountability, this leadership style helps build the resilient and participatory institutions envisioned in SDG 16.7. However, this form of labor is often unrecognized and unrewarded within bureaucratic structures.

Systemic Barriers to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The failure to recognize relational leadership creates significant barriers to achieving gender equality and reducing inequalities within public institutions.

The Double Burden: A Threat to Decent Work (SDG 8) and Gender Equality (SDG 5)

Women in government, especially women of color, often face a “double burden.” They are expected to fulfill their official job responsibilities while also performing the emotional and representational labor of mediating conflicts, mentoring junior staff, and serving as representatives for their communities. This dual role is unsustainable, inequitable, and contributes to professional burnout, undermining the principles of Decent Work (SDG 8) and Gender Equality (SDG 5).

• This additional labor is often performed without formal authority or compensation.
• It creates a risk of losing highly effective public servants who are exhausted by the dual demands.
• This systemic issue perpetuates inequality, directly contradicting the aims of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and Target 5.5, which calls for women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership.

A New Leadership Paradigm for Achieving SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Modern policy challenges require cross-sectoral collaboration, a central tenet of SDG 17. The relational leadership style commonly employed by women is not merely beneficial but essential for forging the partnerships needed to achieve the SDGs.

From Hierarchical Control to Distributed Influence

Emerging frameworks in public administration, such as integrative collaborative governance, validate leadership models based on relationships, trust-building, and distributed influence. This contrasts sharply with classical models focused on control and structure. The ability to convene diverse stakeholders, manage conflict, and build consensus is fundamental to creating the public, public-private, and civil society partnerships promoted by SDG 17.

Recommendations for Institutional Reform

To build a more effective, inclusive, and sustainable public sector aligned with the SDGs, institutions must formally recognize and support network-based leadership. The following actions are recommended:

1. Formalize Mentorship Systems: Establish structured programs that connect emerging women leaders with experienced professionals to institutionalize support and advance SDG 5.
2. Recognize Relational Leadership in Performance Metrics: Adjust evaluation criteria to explicitly include and reward collaboration, staff development, and network-building, thereby promoting the values of SDG 8 and SDG 16.
3. Institutionalize Spaces for Collaboration: Create dedicated time and resources for peer learning and informal coalition-building, fostering the trust required for the effective partnerships of SDG 17.

Conclusion: Investing in Human-Centered Leadership for a Sustainable Future

Elevating a leadership model that values care, creativity, and transformation is essential for progress. By investing in the women who build and sustain these vital networks, public sector organizations can become more effective, equitable, and human-centered. This strategic shift is fundamental to accelerating progress across the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
  
  The article’s central theme is the need to recognize, support, and elevate women’s leadership in public service. It directly addresses the systemic issue where “Women’s leadership is frequently restricted and neglected,” advocating for gender equality in leadership roles and recognition.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  
  The article highlights the “double burden” placed on women, particularly “women of color,” in public service. It discusses the inequity of expecting them to perform emotional labor and representative duties on top of their formal responsibilities, calling for a “more equitable” system.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  
  The entire discussion is set within the context of public administration and government. The article critiques existing leadership models within these institutions and calls for changes to build a “more effective, inclusive public sector” by recognizing different forms of leadership that foster trust and collaboration.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  
  The article touches upon the quality of the work environment in public service, noting that “burnout is high” and the extra burdens on women are “not sustainable.” The call to action to recognize relational labor in performance reviews and create supportive networks relates to ensuring decent work for all employees.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
     
     The article directly supports this target by focusing on women’s leadership in “public service roles” and “government.” It argues that their contributions are essential but often unrecognized, and it calls for actions to “elevate and support the women who lead.”
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory policies and practices.
     
     The article identifies an inequality of outcome where women’s relational and emotional labor goes unrewarded. The suggestion to “Adjust performance evaluations to include collaboration and staff development” is a direct attempt to address this inequality.
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
     
     The article describes how women leaders, particularly a “Black woman leading a child welfare unit,” often serve as mediators, making institutions more responsive to the communities they serve. The call for an “inclusive public sector” that values coalition-building and trust aligns with this target.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
     
     The article points to an unsafe working environment by highlighting that “burnout is high” and the emotional labor is “exhausting” and “not sustainable.” The call to create “infrastructures of care” and “mutual support” aims to foster a more secure and psychologically safe work environment.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 5.5:
   • Indicator (Implied): Proportion of women in public sector management and leadership roles.
     
     The article’s focus on “women in these roles [middle managers]” and women “leading a child welfare unit” implies that the number and proportion of women in such positions is a key metric for assessing leadership participation.
2. For Target 10.3:
   • Indicator (Implied): Adoption of revised performance evaluation frameworks.
     
     The article explicitly calls to “Adjust performance evaluations to include collaboration and staff development.” Therefore, the number or percentage of public sector agencies that have implemented these changes in their evaluation systems would be a direct indicator of progress.
3. For Target 16.7:
   • Indicator (Implied): Employee burnout and retention rates, particularly for women.
     
     The article states that current models may “lose top public servants” and that “burnout is high.” Tracking retention and burnout rates among women in public service would serve as an indicator of whether institutions are becoming more inclusive and supportive.
4. For Target 8.8:
   • Indicator (Implied): Existence of formalized mentorship and peer support systems.
     
     The call to action to “Formaliz[e] mentorship” and “Create time and trust for peer learning” suggests that the establishment and utilization of such programs can be measured to track progress towards a more supportive work environment.

4. Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: patimes.org