The last few months have seen a remarkable increase in the number of female politicians on the benches and in our media. The proliferation of women taking centre stage in the United Kingdom's politics is something that is not a familiar sight; Prime Minister Theresa May is only the second female Prime Minister our country has ever had. It is also clear that the Prime Minister is making a conscious effort to populate her cabinet with women; she has filled eight key positions with female politicians and on a global scale, three of the world's most powerful politicians are women. Angela Merkel, Theresa May and Hilary Clinton are all opening doors in politics that have never been opened before. The question is what is the importance in this for gender equality and the gender gap?
For men, and women, both within politics and watching events unfold from outside it, having women in powerful positions shows a new normal, with both men and women leading from the front. Furthermore, it is important for women and young girls to have role models in senior and powerful positions, women who have climbed the career ladder and others working to support them in moving up, to shatter any unconscious biases leading them to assume the career path would not accommodate them, whether aspiring to be a politician or a CEO.
Ultimately the female takeover of politics illustrates that the gender gap is narrowing. Although there is still a way to go, we're clearly working towards a positive improvement; currently, men still make up 70% of the MPs in the House of Commons, but advancements like this are a step in the right direction. A more diverse way of thinking has the ability to change an institution, governmental or otherwise, bringing together different experiences and points of view. Perhaps we could even wave goodbye to the masculine jeering and bating renowned with Westminster and its back benches.
This isn't just a success for women in politics, but for women in all industries, including STEM. By changing the way the world view female leaders and making them more visible across all disciplines, aspirations of women and girls across the world will be boosted.
A more feminine world stage will be beneficial on all fronts; much like more female dominated business are often more successful - in fact, it has been proven that companies that have the top 20% of financial performance have a higher percentage of women in leadership roles. Perhaps it will be the boom that the UK needs in the post-Brexit economy.