Celebrating women leaders at the forefront of the pandemic response

Globally, women leaders of many countries including New Zealand, Taiwan and Iceland have been applauded for their handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Closer to home, women leaders have been at the forefront of the pandemic response in seven of the 13 provinces and territories. 

“Women in leadership have performed admirably in this pandemic,” said Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald of Taykwa Tagamou Nation at an event hosted by Ryerson’s Faculty of Arts last month, that featured prominent women leaders discussing the role of female leadership in successfully responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19. 

“Women have a balanced approach to leadership, they’re emotionally intelligent, they can stay grounded. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the majority of chief medical officers who have been providing guidance and advice to us are women,” Chief Archibald added.

“There’s this idea that women lead in different ways – with transparency, honesty and without the machismo that we will defeat the virus,” said social epidemiologist Natalia Linos at the same event. 

She noted that although these characteristics are generalizations and not always considered strengths under normal circumstances, being risk-averse, more collaborative and transparent are skill sets that pay off well during a crisis.

“Research suggests that in general, men tend towards a more autocratic, top-down leadership style and women prioritize relational and collaborative leadership,” said Marsha Barber, professor of journalism at Ryerson. 

Citing a research study published in BMJ Global Health that analyzed 122 speeches made by world leaders about COVID-19, Barber added that “men have used more fear-based language when talking about the virus, while women leaders emphasize social cohesion and compassion.”

Recognizing leaders among us

At Ryerson, women in leadership roles have helped launch new faculties and business incubators during the pandemic, led anti-racism initiatives, overseen programs and services as they shifted online and provided essential support to their teams.

“For those in leadership positions in higher education, sometimes not even a day goes by without having to address some sort of emergency or crisis situation,” said Pamela Sugiman, dean of the Faculty of Arts. 

“The difference now has been a matter of scale since of course I have never had to lead a faculty during a pandemic. But I drew on the same skills and proclivities as in the past: calmness, consultation and collaboration, empathy, honesty and transparency,” she said.

Along with leading the faculty’s transition to virtual learning and teaching, Sugiman helped create the Responding to Hate Toolkit that provides support to victims of hate crimes as anti-Asian sentiment grew at the onset of COVID-19.

Usha Srinivasan, director of the Ryerson Venture Zone in Brampton that launched last fall acknowledged that sometimes, leadership during times of crises demands an unparalleled approach.  

“One would think that building a startup incubator in the middle of a pandemic would be challenging, but the vision and ambition of the City of Brampton made up for the challenges posed by the pandemic,” Srinivasan said.

“I joined Ryerson last June and in the next two months, spoke with over 150 people across the private and public sector. No one could say no to a quick video call to help shape the mission of this brand new incubator. I believe one's leadership is tested during times like these and extraordinary measures just become part of the norm,” she added.

Empowering the leader within us

Women have embodied leadership not only at the highest levels of decision-making, but also at the frontlines and within their immediate communities. 

“With issues like anti-Black racism and Indigenous concerns coming to the forefront, it’s tough to build community when we can’t physically be together,” said Nika Zolfaghari, manager of equity and inclusion at the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science. 

“Virtual engagement is so different and to build that sense of community virtually, we created multiple engagement points with students, faculty and staff to provide ongoing support and resources. It's important to be flexible and make sure that we’re giving people time to first and foremost be humans and take care of themselves and their families,” Zolfaghari added.

Through its Industry Challenge, the Ryerson Venture Zone is helping female founders Sushmitha Thirumalaivsan and Orab Amjid build Prospeer (external link)  – a platform for young adults struggling with mental health during COVID-19. 

“We wanted to focus on what we call the three Ps – proactive assessment to learn where a person lies on the mental health spectrum so they can receive proactive help before their mental health deteriorates; peer support so that people can connect with like-minded individuals who are going through similar things; and path to resources for those who need additional support,” Amjid explained.

Supported by Ryerson’s Social Ventures Zone, founder Nadine M. Woods pivoted her postpartum intimate apparel brand Mayana Genevière (external link)  to help small businesses, cultural and community services – providing face coverings to more than a hundred low-income families in Toronto, along with creating and donating PPE gowns to local communities in need.

Throughout the week, events at Ryerson will highlight the many ways that women have been driving change over the last year while facing disproportionate impacts. For a full list of events organized by the 2021 International Women’s Week Committee, visit the International Women’s Week website.