Smart Women, Smart Leadership, and Smart Cities: A Case Study of Two Indonesian Mayors' Approach to E-Leadership

Abstract

Persistent stereotypes of women's leadership in many societies are that they are lacking the equivalent capacity to their male counterparts, thus underpinning the extent that systematic sexism associated with structural discrimination is present across different professional settings. In relation to technological advancements that embody smart cities and e-government, women leaders are particularly likely to be perceived as periphery of digital transformation, exacerbating the level of existing intersectional inequalities. Women's leadership in the space of technological advancement, however, is significant. Women's leadership of digital technology advancement, their championing of “smart cities,” e-government and e-governance, is most notable at local government level. This study adopts a qualitative approach to spotlighting the case studies of two women mayors in East Java, Indonesia, and delves into the modalities of their leadership to highlight the challenges and opportunities for advancing the nexus between technology and governance in their cities. Despite challenges experienced by the women mayors such as the lack of integrated data and centralized repository of information to make data-driven policy decisions, they exhibited resilience and innovation, leveraging ICT to revolutionize public services and govern their administration, leading to increasing public budgeting transparency and accountability, as well as participation following easy access to public services. These best practices demonstrate that women's e-leadership at the local government level is indisputably significant but also raise important questions about the need for policymakers to pay attention to the inherent gendered modalities of leadership in relation to digital transformation.