Why top Liberal women are hesitant to run for leader

Women thinking of joining the leadership race face a glass cliff: the phenomenon where they’re likely to be promoted in times of crisis, and often scapegoated for failure.

Liberal MPs Chrystia Freeland, left, Anita Anand, and Mélanie Joly have all been touted as top contenders to helm the party for years. But do they want to gamble their careers on a potentially unwinnable race?The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY REBECCA BAILEY

January 16, 2025

As the Liberal Party leadership race heats up, a sobering question looms for women in top positions: is it worth stepping up to lead a party teetering on the edge of defeat? Mélanie Joly, Anita Anand, and Christy Clark have made up their minds: it’s not.

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