‘The Glass Cliff’ is a term used to describe situations where women or minority groups are promoted to positions of leadership at times of crisis. Usually, this is when the risk of failure is higher and they are expected to save a company or organisation from a dire situation that they played no part in creating. 

Kemi Badenoch, who became the leader of the Conservative party in November 2024, is seen by some as the perfect example of this. At the time of Kemi winning the leadership race, the Tories’ reputation had taken a serious hit due to a rapid succession of leadership changes before a landslide defeat in the 2024 General Election. 

The glass cliff suggests that Black Women are being promoted to positions of power as a last resort, rather than for their inherent value and skills. Statistics from a University of Exeter study reveal that when a company was performing poorly, 65% to 86% of participants preferred the female candidate, whilst only 39% to 57% preferred female candidates when the company was doing well.