Episode: 3 Part 2

Podcast Title: Power Of...  

Episode Title: Feminist Leadership Beyond Gender Binaries: Perspectives from Guyana – Part 2

Tune in to the Power Of…podcast, a series that dives into critical, thought-provoking, and contemporary content to drive gender equality and improve global health. Johanna Riha hosts this podcast and works at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health in Malaysia, where she is passionate about seeing true transformation occur in these areas. 

While improving the representation of women in leadership roles is one important step toward institutionalising change towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in health, deep seated patriarchal norms mean we need more than gender parity, we need leadership that goes beyond gender binaries and authority, to responsibility grounded in feminist principles and values. In this mini-series, Johanna continues conversations with Kobe Smith on the power of feminist leadership. Kobe is a young, black Guyanese male leader, who has held various local, regional and international leadership positions. 

In the previous episode Kobe shared what feminist leadership means to him and insights from his roles in various leadership positions, highlighting the importance of leadership that champions responsibility, inclusivity, and representation for achieving gender equality and global health equity. 

In this episode, the conversation continues as Johanna asks Kobe how he remains grounded and focused staying true to feminist principles and values, given his different roles in positions of power and-decision making. Kobe explains that he continues to be motivated and inspired by personal relationships and experiences. For Kobe, feminist leadership is about being empathic to friends, family and others who may need care and support and being mindful how decisions may affect their lives. He also discusses the importance of finding meaning in work, but also prioritising self-care, which includes mental, physical and emotional dimensions of one’s wellbeing. As the episode concludes, Kobe discusses how we can do more for communities of people through feminist leadership if we consult and really try to understand the needs, the aspirations, the desires of the people we're trying to serve. He encourages as to ask, “When we sit down in rooms to craft policies and programs, are we engaging the youth? Are we engaging gender diverse people? Are we engaging persons who have health challenges? Why I say consult and engage - it really helps us to be more informed. And yes, consulting can take time. It can also take money. But it's better to consult than to take a decision that is not meaningful, that is not sustainable, that is not impactful.”  

This marks the end of the mini-series on the power of feminist leadership. If you haven’t already, listen to the first part of the conversation with Kobe and read Srilatha Batliwala’s think piece on feminist leadership – what it is and why it matters.  

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Kobe’s mother, who shaped him to become the leader he is today.  

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