When Sussan Ley made history as the first woman to take the reins of Australia's Liberal Party, she insisted this was a pivotal moment for the party – or what was left of it anyway.
She had broken through the glass ceiling: an invisible, patriarchal barrier which keeps women from positions of power. But to many, Ley's glass ceiling looked an awful lot like a 'glass cliff', and it felt like it was only a matter of time before she lost her grip and slipped off it.
The glass cliff describes a phenomenon where women and other minorities are promoted to leadership roles during times of crisis, setting them up for a high risk of failure. In essence, it says that when women are finally allowed to ascend to the top, it's frequently so they can take the fall.
Elected as leader after the most resounding election defeat in the history of the modern Liberal Party and amid internal party chaos, Ley didn't even survive a year. On Friday she was pushed out by Angus Taylor, who argued she didn't have what it takes to turn the opposition's fortunes around, winning a leadership ballot 34 to 17.
Ley's backers claim she was never given the chance to succeed, with some saying gender played a role. Her opponents say her demise has nothing to do with that and everything to do with performance, reigniting conversations in Australia about its progress towards making its politics look more like its population.
'Crisis on every front'
Whoever took over as Liberal leader after the Labor landslide in May last year was always going to have a tough job. A multitude of crises awaited the new leader, including party disunity, policy overhaul and mending relations with the coalition partner National Party.
Michelle Ryan, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, noted that the situation was a classic glass cliff. Ley’s short term was marked by attempts to unify factions and rejuvenate a party struggling with its image among women in the electorate.
Women still rare at the top
While Australia has made strides in gender representation within the parliament, with the Labor party achieving majority female membership, women remain underrepresented in key leadership roles. Ley's departure once again raises questions about when the Liberal Party will seriously consider promoting women into substantive leadership positions.
While Ley insisted she had earned her position based on merit, many critics argue that the political landscape still heavily biases against female leaders. As the Liberal Party navigates these challenges, the struggle for gender equity continues to unfold in the context of Australia's evolving political landscape.
