When Finland’s former Prime Minister Sanna Marin proposed a four-day work week, the internet collectively sighed, “Where do we sign up?” To many, Marin’s idea wasn’t just about fewer workdays; it was a symbol of something bigger: leadership that values balance, empathy, and mental health over constant hustle. And it’s no coincidence that Finland, under her leadership, remained the world’s happiest country.
Across the world, a pattern has quietly emerged. Nations that frequently top happiness and well-being charts, such as Finland, Iceland, Denmark, and New Zealand, have all been led by women. Even Malawi, one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world, under President Joyce Banda, made strides toward equity and optimism despite immense economic challenges. These women aren’t just running governments; they’re redefining what good leadership looks like.
Leading With Empathy
Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand became a global icon for compassion-driven governance. From her empathetic handling of the Christchurch Mosque Shooting, to her transparent communication during the pandemic, Ardern led through kindness rather than fear, and thus, her nation consistently ranked among the world’s happiest.
In Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir has continued the country’s legacy of prioritizing equality, education, and environmental responsibility, all values that are deeply tied to collective well-being. Iceland doesn’t just score high on happiness; it also ranks as the world’s most gender-equal nation.
And then there’s Joyce Banda, who became Malawi’s president in 2012 amid political turmoil. Her leadership stands as a masterclass in integrity and empathy. The first female prime minister of Malawi and the second woman ever to lead an African nation, Banda inherited a nation in crisis. After her predecessor Mutharika clashed with international donors, whose support made up nearly 40% of Malawi’s budget, the economy was in ruins. Instead of following the pattern of excess that defined the previous administration, Banda made bold, symbolic, and practical choices to restore trust. Within her first few weeks, she fired ten officials linked to corruption and began cleaning up government waste. She sold the presidential jet for around $15 million and a fleet of luxury Mercedes-Benz cars, assets that had cost Malawians around $300,000 a year in maintenance and insurance. She then redirected the proceeds toward buying grain and medicine for her people. According to various sources, the jet had been purchased by Mutharika for $13.3 million to “match his status”; Banda, by contrast, “turned her back on extravagance, choosing service instead of status.”
But her reforms went beyond symbolism. Banda cut her own salary by 30%. She introduced austerity measures, invested in programs that provided women access to safe childbirth, small business loans, and vocational training, lifting thousands out of poverty and empowering them to support their families. In a world where leaders often equate power with privilege, Joyce Banda redefined it as sacrifice in the service of others and, in doing so, she gave her nation something rarer than wealth: dignity and hope. Her legacy proves that “happiness” isn’t only measured by GDP; it’s about social progress and trust in leadership.
A New Kind of Power in Denmark
Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s Prime Minister, is making waves with her proposal to ban social media for children under 15, a controversial but telling move. While critics call it overreach, Frederiksen’s reasoning is rooted in concern for youth mental health. In a world where teenage anxiety and loneliness are skyrocketing, her stance reflects a leader unafraid to prioritize well-being over popularity.
Her initiative echoes the same spirit found in Marin’s flexible-work vision or Ardern’s compassionate politics: a willingness to challenge the status quo for the sake of people’s mental and emotional health.
The Feminine Blueprint for Happiness
Of course, correlation isn’t causation; women leaders don’t magically make countries happier. These nations often already have progressive values that allow women to rise to power in the first place. But maybe that’s the point: a society that trusts women to lead is already on a path toward greater happiness.
When leadership centres empathy, inclusion, and care, traits historically dismissed as “soft,” the result isn’t weakness. It’s resilience, trust, and, yes, happiness.
The Takeaway
From Marin’s four-day work dream to Frederiksen’s social-media crackdown, from Banda’s fight for dignity to Ardern’s empathy-driven governance, these women are rewriting the leadership rulebook. Their policies remind us that progress isn’t only about profits or power; it’s about how people feel living under the systems they create.
Maybe the future of global happiness isn’t just female, maybe it’s feminine: grounded in empathy, guided by balance, and unafraid to lead with heart.