I don't really like to generalize, but in general, women tend to be nurturers and taught how to sacrifice some comfort and desires for the greater good of the family, and so perhaps it is easier for the women leaders to mandate measures that prevent the virus from being able to spread, with some common sense guidelines.

I remember listening to PM Jacinda Ardern of NZ inspiring her citizens to keep close to home and why. It was effective and her country men and women gleefully participated and beat the virus!

My (male) mayor took a similar approach, like it was the dad in him, and/or his wife's influence, but he also took a family like stance to the problem, and we also licked it. (At least until we recently got a new cluster of virus, after 10 weeks of none.)

I think women, and men who listen to the women in their life, are better equipped culturally to assure the health of the people, in order to preserve the economy. Some men, not all, are perhaps more persuaded by what their big donors want them to do, economically, without caring about the health of the workers.

Some uncaring opportunist leaders, might also be swayed by the idea that more deaths in a country mean more money in the pockets of fewer people, so the economy will be stronger. That is not a route that a nurturer would take.

It is an excellent observation and I thank you for it. I think all the replies are correct.

I think one more factor is that in my opinion women tend to be more conciliatory and therefore able to better tend to the needs of the group. My 93 year old says it is time for a female president. I regret that he is unlikely to see that day.

Because they were elected on merit and not on the contents of their underpants maybe?

...well at least that's proven now - they're not narcissistic bigots. They get on with their job. They don't look out for fan clubs and spend their lives on twitter.