Nothing is quite as exciting as an election night. The ups and downs, twists and turns, wins and losses, the passion and the pain as one party triumphs over another.

On Sunday, two countries had elections with a special significance. In IcelandA volcanic island just south of the Arctic Circle. Its parliament, the "Althing", is thought to be the oldest in the world, dating from 930., voters almost returned the world's first female-majority parliament. The first count suggested that women would win 33 of the 63 available seats. But after a recount, this fell to 30 seats - which still makes Iceland the European country with the largest female representation, at 47.6%.

And German voters chose a replacement for Angela MerkelThe chancellor (democratically elected leader) of Germany since 2005. She is often seen as the most powerful woman in the world and affectionately called "mummy" (mutti) by many Germans., who, over her staggering 16 years in power, has frequently been called "the most powerful woman in the world".

Electing women is an important step towards establishing real gender equality. Right now, just 25.5% of all the world's legislators are women. Yet research has shown that when women enter parliaments, they are more likely to advocateTo publicly recommend or support a particular cause.  women's rights, as well as children's rights and the interests of their local communities.

That is why some think it is also better for everyone to have women in charge. They argue that women are simply more effective leaders than men.

During the pandemic, many commentators noted that countries with women leaders had managed the virus better than countries led by men did. US states with female governorsThe chief executive officer of a US state is known as a governor. They are generally responsible for implementing the laws and keeping the state government running. Each governor has had responsibility for their own state's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. also ended up losing fewer people to Covid-19 than those with men at the helm.

Psychologists argue that this is because women tend to score higher than men on the key characteristics that make a good leader: humility, self-control, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and social skills. They have a better understanding of the moral consequences of their actions.

Indeed, some have argued that early human societies all had women leaders. Political theorist Friedrich EngelsIn 1842, his parents sent Engels to the family-owned mill in Manchester. They hoped he would abandon his radical politics. Instead, he wrote The Condition of the Working Class in England, describing the poverty of northern towns. argued that societies were originally matrilinealThe name given to a society in which a family name and inheritance is passed down via the mother, not the father., but became patriarchalA society in which adult men have a monopoly on power. In these societies, men tend to hold all political positions, and women and children are also expected to obey the men in their families. when men began to hoard food and wealth for themselves and use it to control women.

Much of the world was still matriarchalA society in which women have a monopoly on power, both in the public sphere and in the home. until the age of European imperialism. Colonial authorities marginalised women in indigenous societies in Africa and the Americas by giving technology and skills exclusively to men, which increased their power in society.

Some matriarchies still exist. Women of the Native American HopiA Native American tribe primarily located in north-eastern Arizona. They have their own government which negotiates directly with the US federal government. people wield most economic and social power. Amongst the KhasiAn ethnic group largely located in the Indian state of Meghalaya, where they make up 48% of the population. They are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian constitution. people of north-east India, men move into their wives' homes and participate equally in raising children.

But others argue that if we expect women to be better leaders than men, then we will also judge them more harshly than men for their failures. 

They point to the example of former UK prime minister Theresa MayThe prime minister of the UK between 2016 and 2019. Her attempts to secure a Brexit deal ultimately failed, resulting in her resignation., who was attacked in the press for a series of gaffes and missteps that her successor, Boris Johnson, could have got away with. Because she initially had a reputation as a competent woman, they argue, the public was unforgiving about her mistakes.

Yes, say some. Studies show that women are better at handling crises than men, and they are more willing to put in the background work necessary to get their jobs done. Electing women leaders improves the lives of women, children and men. After millennia of patriarchy, it is now time to give matriarchy another go.

No, say others. Expecting women to come in and clean up the mess men have left behind is just another form of sexism. We should make our choice of leaders based on their merits as individuals, not because we believe their gender makes them the right person for the job.