Guest Column
The Power of Many
The Essence of Feminist Leadership
Out of the countless definitions of leadership we encounter, the one that often prevails is the traditional model: leadership is about taking charge, holding the reins, exercising authority, and being a hero or even playing the saviour. For many, it is synonymous with power over others. But what if leadership were about something entirely different? What if true leadership wasn’t about control, but about sharing power, embracing collaboration, and building a more inclusive world? These are the foundational questions that fuel the concept of feminist leadership.
Feminist leadership challenges the conventional view that leadership is an individual achievement or a singular ascent to power. Instead, it emphasises that leadership is a collective effort—a process of mutual responsibility aimed at transforming the discriminatory power structures around us. It is based on shared power and collective decision-making, and about creating a space where everyone is accountable. It is about justice, equity, and inclusion – not merely as lofty ideals, but practices that guide our actions, not just for women, but for all marginalised, stigmatised, discriminated, and excluded people. Feminist leadership, at its core, is about dismantling old paradigms and fostering environments where everyone has the agency and opportunity to lead.
Leading from Within: The Radical Roots of Feminist Leadership
What makes feminist leadership unique is its deeply personal foundation. The feminist principle that ‘the personal is political’ means that our leadership must begin with the self. We must confront our own internalised power, privilege, and patriarchal ideas and norms, along with our fears, rage, and all our psychic baggage, to transform our individual practice of power. In other words, it requires the tangible and visible practice of feminist values and politics in all the spaces we occupy, in all the roles we play and in all the institutions we build. It is essential to realise that it is not about women in leadership or the ways women should lead or become leaders. It’s about the way all people should ideally lead.
Lessons from My Journey
My own journey in feminist leadership spans five decades, evolving from intuitive practice to a more intentional and conscious approach. In my early years of activism, when I was involved in building mass movements of marginalised urban and rural women, rather than setting the agenda or offering services, we created safe spaces where these women could identify their own priorities and strategies for change. In the process, we enabled the emergence of a whole cadre of marginalised women as leaders.
After 20 years in formal leadership roles, I made a radical decision to step back from the frontline, ceding leadership to younger women and choosing to ‘lead from behind’. This shift allowed me to shape and support young activists around the world. Building theory from practice, I created simple, accessible conceptual and analytical tools to help sharpen their activism and their impact. Most importantly, I began to work formally under younger feminist leaders. I wanted to demonstrate that for senior feminist leaders, supporting younger women leaders was not only necessary but very rewarding and enriching. While working with the Association for Women’s Rights and Development (AWID), the largest international women’s network, I reported to a director just two years older than my son and a supervisor younger than my daughter. These experiences enriched me and reinforced the idea that ceding power strengthens the collective.
Leading by Example: Innovating Feminist Leadership Models
I have actively experimented with practices that embodied feminist principles and seen the difference. As the head of the Mahila Samakhya program in Karnataka, I reversed the traditional way people seek leave. Instead of seeking permission from their supervisors, employees had to seek approval from those most affected by their absence. The field-level activists had to get permission from the Sangha women, the collectives they had built, the district coordinators from their team of activists, and I, as the director, from the district coordinators. Though it met with resistance initially, this practice became the norm and a source of pride.
Similarly, the Mahila Sanghas we helped build at the village level moved away from patriarchal hierarchies like presidents and secretaries, adopting a model of collective leadership. Groups of four to five women shared responsibility for guiding their collectives to develop their strategies and actions, creating a structure that was more inclusive and aligned with feminist values.
The Strength in Sharing Power
One of the most profound lessons I have learned in my journey is that sharing power does not weaken us; it strengthens us. In the practice of feminist leadership, the fear that conceding power will render us irrelevant or powerless is misplaced. My journey and experience have shown that the more we share power, the more powerful we become. It nurtures a sense of collective responsibility and creates space for others to grow, contribute, and lead. Feminist leadership isn’t about hoarding power, it’s about redistributing it in a way that empowers others, and in doing so, strengthens the entire community.
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