Gender Balance in Leadership: A New Shift in Cura?ao

Gender Balance in Leadership: A New Shift in Cura?ao

November 9, 2024

When we talk about gender, it’s not just about the LGBTQ+ conversation. It’s also about gender representation in leadership roles across various fields. While the United States awaits its first female president, Hollywood seems ready, producing films featuring women as leaders of the free world. In the Netherlands, the first female Prime Minister is still a milestone yet to be achieved. In Cura?ao, however, women have made remarkable strides in leadership; I can easily recall at least five women who have held prominent political positions.

Cura?ao, as sociologists have noted, is known for its matrifocal society, and recent statistics reflect a profound shift in the balance of gender representation in education and leadership. In 2024, 74% of university graduates in Cura?ao were women, a trend that aligns with earlier stages of education where women are the majority in both HAVO and VWO enrollment. This was highlighted as early as 2009 in the study The Boys Problem, which pointed to a consistent gender imbalance in education.

Yet, it is a trend; I am always a bit taken aback when I enter board-rooms or leadership meetings on the island and find only a few men present—or, in some cases, none. At one recent meeting, six other participants were women and one male. They were all well-qualified and held substantial roles within their organizations. I noticed that only two of the six members were men in the new election council. This small representation highlights the gender shift we’re seeing in various leadership bodies in Curacao. It’s another example of how women are now stepping into influential roles in spaces traditionally dominated by men. The council overseeing fair and transparent elec-tions now reflects a changing dynamic, with women holding the ma-jority of seats and contributing their perspectives to critical decision-making processes. So, what’s the issue here? I can’t say I find it particularly troubling; it’s not dissimilar to when only men used to occupy these spaces. We once aimed for balance, a 50/50 split between men and women, yet the scales have tipped in the opposite direction.

This shift also seems to be prompting conversations among women leaders who are organizing activities to raise awareness among men about their evolving role in society. It’s similar to the movements of the 1960s and 1970s, where women rallied for their rights and equality. In the past, I joked about the need for men to form groups for their own “emancipation.” Now, however, it seems like a real possibility. We may be on the brink of a men’s movement in Cura?ao, even if such a development might seem out of place in countries like the United States, where men still essentially hold leadership roles.

Cura?ao may once again be ahead of its times in gender dynamics within the professional sphere. As the balance shifts, it will be interesting to see how this movement evolves and whether it sparks broader conversations around gender and representation in leadership.

Miguel Goede