It is noticable that in an increasing number of countries, states or provinces, health ministers and senior public health officials are women. In this crisis, are people more likely to trust the information coming from women officials than for their male counterparts?
Hello Jill, that's an interesting question! Thank you for contacting me. I don't know you but after reading your profile I am sure you have strong insights on what research would suggest. I have never researched this question specifically but my hunch would be that existing evidence would point in the direction of people/nations giving more credibility to men in crisis situations. I don't see why it would be different with Covid-19.
This being said, the underlying assumption is: it should be equal, it's not and something is wrong. Personally, I would be inclined to be pragmatic and to ask: what can make women leaders more credible in crisis situations in the public's eye? It seems from Angela Merkel's speech that she's a good voice. As an expert (or else as an educated guess-person), do you have any clues on what makes her appear so strong and trustworthy?
There is a tendency to assign 'soft' cabinet posts like health & education to women...if so, what happens in a crisis if people only consider men authorities?
Another possibility is that many people are so suspicious of male politicians (politics as usual), that they find women more trust worthy.
There also is evidence that people trust women more in positions that require scientific, judicial etc qualifications. This crisis would be a good opportunity to gather evidence or insights about these competing hypotheses.
Dear people will trust them based on their track records and reliability and the validity of the information.
https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5518974
No one trusts anyone anymore...
To control the Covid-19 pandemic effectively, healthcare professionals and the public must hear and accept difficult truths. America has failed to do this; so the virus spreads unchecked.
Transmission of the virus can not be stopped it can only be delayed to allow healthcare systems to cope with the increased demand on services. So please preserve respirator face masks for healthcare professionals who must care for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Unfortunately, rather than being honest; authorities have repeatedly changed advice about the need to wear facemasks. As a result, healthcare professionals and the public can no longer trust what is being said. The mistrust has been fuelled by conflicting messages for healthcare professionals and the general public.
In the current situation the only safe thing for anyone to do is to try to wear facemasks that provide the best protection. The real difficulty is that the best medical grade respirator face masks are in extremely short supply. Healthcare professionals, putting their lives on the line, need these masks to protect themselves from their infected patients.
Up to 25% of healthcare professionals in the UK are either off work due to sickness or because of suspected exposure. Excess deaths occur when healthcare systems can not care for patients who need treatment. The more healthcare workers who go off sick, the less care sick patients can receive.
The public can be protected by social distancing. As an intensivist I do not have this option, I must get very near to patients to look after them. I will be honest; respirator face masks do protect people from transmission of Covid-19. Cloth face masks are unlikely to protect uninfected people but are likely to reduce spread of virus from those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Not going near patients with Covid-19 is much more effective.
I therefore ask the public to fully engage with social distancing and preserve the medical grade face masks for healthcare professionals who do not have this option.
I suspect this varies by country.
The previous poster says "no one trusts anyone anymore." In Canada, I have observed just the opposite. Social trust seems extraordinarily high.
I agree that people trust the public health officials, but I believe they trust them because of the position rather than because quite a few are women.
If you watch the daily press conferences with many women as cabinet ministers e.g. of health & public health officials think of how young people are perceiving authority figures? This is beyond the question of social trust...important though that is...'wash your hands'...etc ...are mother authority messages. So not just social trust...but also who is an expert on what kind knowledge/policy/practice.
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