Women’s political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of the City Council of Cali, Colombia

Abstract

This article examines changes in women’s local level political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic based on political oversight proposals approved by the City Council of Cali, Colombia between 2016 and 2024. The findings show that women councillors tended to initiate inquiries at higher rates than male councillors throughout most of the study period. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, female councillors’ political oversight activities rose markedly to more than double the rate of their male peers, a pattern that has persisted into the post-pandemic era. Furthermore, women councillors adopted a more thematically varied approach to political oversight than their male counterparts. This research contributes to broader discussions on the relationship between gender and political leadership and productivity outcomes, particularly in times of crisis.