Shared power, unequal influence? Gender dynamics in collective leadership

Party leaders play a crucial role in shaping candidate selection, government appointments, and party strategies. Despite progress in women’s political representation, leadership positions remain male-dominated, limiting gender equality and intra-party democracy. The increasing adoption of collective leadership structures—such as collective leadership models—offers an opportunity to examine how gender influences access to power and political influence within political organizations. Existing scholarship on collective leadership has primarily explored its emergence, typologies, and organizational characteristics. However, little is known about how gender shapes pathways to collective leadership and the distribution of power within these structures. Research on gender and political leadership suggests that while crises may create openings for women in leadership, their authority is often constrained by gendered expectations and male-dominated party dynamics. This article integrates literature on collective leadership and gender in political parties to develop an analytical framework for understanding how power and responsibilities are allocated in mixed-gender collective leadership structures. By investigating these leadership dynamics, this study sheds light on how gendered power relations shape decision-making processes and broader parliamentary practices.