Mental health challenges haven’t been something politicians can comfortably televise until recently.It changed at the national level in America and Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.).he garnered praise When he was recently hospitalized with depression, he’s been open across the spectrum.
Across the globe, we are paving the way for new areas of mental health and public life. This is good because it makes you question stereotypes about leadership. Doing so also opens the door to the next generation of young women who are ready to step up and lead.
The idea that political leaders should be “strong” and “tough” is a trait commonly attributed to men and is becoming less popular than it used to be. Faced with less of the old prejudices of the future, it will lead to more humane policy-making and more authentic and open leadership. It will bring real change to our global political culture to build a better future together.
resignation of Nicola Sturgeon and Jacinda Ardern I also went home as part of this shift. Both women, leaders of Scotland and New Zealand, were open when they recently stepped down. Both said they were dealing with the impact of governance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
sturgeon explained “Physical and mental effects on me”.Meanwhile, Ardern talked There is not enough gas “in the tank” to continue the job. There was a sexist reaction to Ardern’s resignation. BBC ran headline Ask, “Can a woman have it all?” However, commentators expressed anger and the station “corrected” the headline.
In the meantime, we’re asking whether enough is being done to keep bright young women in politics. Sturgeon spoke of the brutality of contemporary political discourse. Political commentators say there is a shift in how women leaders are becoming more open. And voters, too, are eager for political leaders to do more about mental health. A recent survey of America’s Generation Z voters by my organization, IGNITE, showed this issue a high priority at the ballot box.
There have been rare exceptions to the mental health and politics taboos of the past.Recent research suggests he may have suffered bipolar disorderHistorians, however, remain tight-lipped about deep discussions of his condition. They prefer to focus on his legacy as if it were separate from the humans who left it.
Historians have also long resisted delving into President Abraham Lincoln’s “melancholy.” Although giving him the tools to outlaw slavery is now partly credible, most historians now agree that Lincoln suffered from clinical depression. doing.
Likewise, both Churchill and Lincoln were born into privileged classes and were both white. Today’s political leaders are young women. They include women of color, queer women, Muslim women, transgender women, and women with disabilities. They can come from poverty. Moving such diverse women to all levels of politics will change things. But it will take time and will require dismantling outdated notions of what leadership looks like. This means embracing new narratives about what it means to be a political leader, including who is “fit” for public office and how mental health initiatives in politics can actually increase leadership credibility.
We also need to urgently address the mental health crisis plaguing young women today. As a leader of a young women’s political empowerment organization, I have witnessed firsthand the impact mental health has on young people, especially young women. This is an issue they care about, an issue that directly affects their political confidence, ambition and initiative.
A 2020 survey conducted during COVID saw shocking mental health numbers. 65% of respondents felt unhappy or stressed. 73% felt nervous all the time. Worrying so much she lost sleep 53% of the time. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released in February, shows record levels of sadness among teenage girls.
Yes, these numbers are amazing. But I don’t think they create despair. In fact, I think it’s more of a reason for them to go out and get more young women into their conversations about agency and power. A bit like Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln did generations ago.
I have met countless young women who are concerned about the issues of their community but fear political leadership. I introduced them to a friendly local political leader. They discussed how important it was to rewrite the rules.Then, those young women grew accustomed to the idea of running for public office.
Young women will have more opportunities for leadership themselves when they see politicians becoming more open about the challenges they face. We hope they enjoy this new territory and show us a bolder and braver version of us before.
Sara Guillermo is CEO of IGNITE, an organization dedicated to young women’s political leadership. Follow her on her Twitter: @SaraGuillermo19.
