Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies

This book contributes to our understanding of the trajectories andprerogatives of female political leaders in the varying context ofdemocratization, political institutions and cultural norms. No woman hadbeen elected leader of a country before 1960, but with democratictransitions on the rise since the 1970s, the number of women in executiveoffice gradually became a trend of global scope. In 2015, nineteencountries had an elected female Head of State and/or Government, aproportionally small number that is expected to climb as more womencompete for high office, sometimes against other female candidates. Thisvolume compares how women executives differ in promoting genderequality and advocating for women's rights and interests, as well as in theirability to negotiate gender policy agendas. Comparative and theoreticalchapters on post-transition women leaders are complemented by casestudies in eight countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern andCentral Europe. This book will be of use to students and scholars interestedin gender studies, comparative politics, and political leadership.