International Women's Day: Women in the era of Covid-19

One year into a pandemic that upended life as we once knew it, this event explored how Covid-19 affected women and gender diverse people across the world – in their employment prospects, their caring and household responsibilities, the rate of domestic violence they suffer, their access to education and the mental health challenges they faced.

Covid-19 also provided lessons in leadership. New Zealand and Taiwan appeared first and third on the Lowy Institute’s recently released Covid Performance Index. To what extent can their success be attributed to the approaches and styles of their female leaders? 

In this special event marking International Women's Day 2021, the panel discusses the effect the pandemic has had on women and examine women’s leadership throughout the past year. 

About the speakers

Professor Michelle Ryan is the Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, ANU, and Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology, University of Exeter Professor.

Jacqui True is the Director of Monash University’s Centre for Gender, Peace and Security and Professor of Politics and International Relations.

Natasha Kassam is the Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute.