Can Rachel Reeves’s Tears Be A Watershed Moment For Women At Work?

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: British Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers a speech unveiling Labour's plans to "rewire" the NHS. (Photo by Jack Hill - WPA Pool/Getty Images)A woman cried at work on Wednesday.It was live-streamed. It hit the front pages. It dominated social media, filled podcasts, and became the top story—in a world riddled with global crises, this was apparently headline material. Not because of what was said, but because a woman shed a tear.Of course I am aware that Rachel Reeves is no ordinary woman and this is no ordinary workplace – but the reaction was wildly out of proportion. Because let’s be honest – this wasn’t about politics. It was about a woman showing emotion in public, in power.For people condemning the tears as unsuitable for serious people in a serious workplace, I give you: John Prescott punching a member of the public; Lord Heseltine wielding a mace in the Chamber; Rory Stewart being threatened with being bopped on the nose; Michael Fabricant yelling ‘bollocks’ across the floor; nothwithstanding the constant booing, jeering and barracking that is customary in the Chamber, particularly during Prime Ministers Questions. Indeed, in the 5050 Parliament and Compassion in Politics Reset Report, which advocates for greater civility in politics, one former MP stated that PMQs was more like a ‘pantomime than a serious debating chamber’.For some of the most egregious transgressions in the House of Commons and beyond there have been repercussions, although Blair apparently said that punching a voter was ’John being John’; but mostly Westminster has been allowed to function as a ‘bear pit’ as the Leader of the Commons herself acknowledges in a piece for The House this week. Which all begs the question, which emotions are allowed – not just in the Commons, but in any workplace? It is a trick of the patriarchy that ‘sadness’ is classed as an emotion, whilst ‘anger’ is not. We see plenty of angry outbursts from male leaders (to wit: any post from POTUS on Truth Social), but, hey, that’s OK – because male leadership is still the default and anger is rebranded as strength, passion, authority. Despite the claim that women are ‘more emotional’, men get such a free pass with emotion if it A) is anger or B) involves football. A male boss once threw a phone at the wall next to my head and I barely batted an eyelid, so I think we can accept that, despite it making us feel uncomfortable, the odd tear here or there should not be newsworthy and should certainly not carry with it calls for the person to resign!The Chancellor has an awful load on her shoulders. As well as the responsibility of that office, at this particular time of economic turbulence, she also has the weight of expectation at being the first female in this high profile role; and a role model to scores of girls and young women. I am not suggesting that Reeves should avoid scrutiny; but make it about policy not a brief moment of personal anguish. As she said herself, in a subsequent interview with the BBC, “I think all your viewers have had tough days, for personal reasons, for whatever reasons. I happened to be on the camera when I had a tough day.”My hope is that, by getting up, dusting herself off (as she did on Thursday at the Labour NHS 10 Year Plan launch) and cracking on with the job - with the full support of her colleagues - this could be a watershed (forgive the pun) moment for women in the workplace. So many of us who saw that image of a woman trying to hold it together at work, found it relatable. Many women are juggling careers with care-giving responsibilities and have had to work twice as hard to prove their worth. That moment, which comes at some point in almost every woman’s career, when you feel your throat start to close and your eyes prick with tears is terrible. We have been told consistently that women are ‘too emotional’ for leadership, so crying can feel like we are letting ourselves and the sisterhood down. What it really shows is that we are all human, with a full range of emotions. The world of work—like the Chamber itself—was designed by men, for men. But as women take up more space in leadership, the model of what leadership looks like needs to evolve. That includes recognising that vulnerability and power can coexist. That empathy is a strength, as Jacinda Ardern has said, not a flaw.Whatever you think of Reeves’ policies, we can all extend empathy and give her a beat to regroup. This will help teach our daughters, and our sons, that moments of vulnerability in our careers are inevitable and surmountable. We have a chance here to not only recognise that our elected leaders are humans, to whom we can - and should - extend compassion, but also to move a step closer to rejecting the patriarchal blue-print of the workplace.Lyanne Nicholl is a writer and CEO at 50:50 ParliamentRelated...It's 2025 And Things Are Getting Worse, Not Better, For Mums At WorkRachel Reeves Says She Is 'Cracking On With The Job' A Day After Crying In CommonsLindsay Hoyle Had 'Altercation' With Rachel Reeves Before She Cried At PMQs

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