Synopses & Reviews
At a time when a womanandmdash;Angela Merkelandmdash;is arguably the most powerful leader in Europe and anotherandmdash;Hilary Clintonandmdash;continues to be at the center of the US political stage, it seems that women have broken through the glass ceiling and begun to populate the highest offices of the political world.
Women of Power is a testament to that accomplishment, offering the most comprehensive overview of female presidents and prime ministers to date. Looking at over fifty countries and over seventy women leaders since 1960, Torild Skardandmdash;herself an experienced politicianandmdash;examines how and why these women rose to the top and what their leadership has meant for womenandrsquo;s empowerment throughout the latter half of the twentieth century.
Skard examines the achievements and life stories of the worldandrsquo;s female leaders up to the current era. She offers nuanced portraits that draw on a number of materials, including many interviews that she conducted herself. All of the women discussed are organized by both chronology and geography, and Skard includes a number of helpful chapters that provide an overview and assessment of how different women leaders have come to power in different regions. Overall the book provides a fascinating account of womenandrsquo;s empowerment as it has manifested itself at the very top of the political hierarchy.
Review
"Women in Power covers the obstacles as well as the advantages these women faced and offers insights into our societies' structures with regard to the power relations between men and women. It also considers differing theories of women's leadership and feminism around the world." - Library Media Connection Online
Review
"Some can attribute their accession to authority to decades of political struggle. Others can point to a lifelong commitment to supporting tradition, albeit with a bit of difference in their cases. Some hold power through faith, others through family. Yet one significant element in these 22 leaders is the same: they are all women. Hodgensen and Solheim examine the lives and work of women from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas from the 1960s onward, analyzing their political and social impact as politicians, agents of change, and role models. They also provide an analysis of differing theories about women's leadership and feminist theories and describe potential candidates for the US presidency at theoretical and practical levels." - Reference & Research Book News
Review
and#8220;Letand#8217;s hope that all the women world leaders of the next 50 years cannot be contained within one volume!and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Offers a unique overview of the first half-century in history when women in positions of leadership were no longer the exception.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;When, where, and how do women become prime ministers or presidents? Women of Power is a tour de force, providing new insight into regional patterns of global change.and#8221;
Review
andldquo;This fascinating book on women of power is the first comprehensive overview of how and why women made it to the top of political leadership in the years after World War II until 2010.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A compelling major work on powerful women in international politics in our time. . . . Recommended as a comprehensive and exciting work in global womenandrsquo;s studies during the last fifty years.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Women of Power is a valuable resource to those who seek an insight into the struggle women have faced in becoming leaders in their own right. Alongside the life histories of the women in question, Skard offers detailed analyses of political developments and gives brief historical overviews of each region at the beginning of each chapter. . . . A highly informative, knowledgeable, and valuable contribution to the fields of gender studies and political history.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;It is important that we learn lessons from those who went before.andquot;
Review
andldquo;The essential reference on women in power, covering a half-century of women at the political helm of democracies as both presidents and prime ministers. A self-described andlsquo;third-generation feminist,andrsquo; Skard brings solid credentials to this mammoth project: she is or has been a scholar, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, UNESCO director for the status of women, and a minister in Norwayand#39;s cabinet. Skard asks excellent analytic questions about why and how women ascended to top leadership positions and what effect their leadership has on societies. . . . This book belongs in the reference section of all research libraries. Highly recommended.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Skard takes on an enormously ambitious project in her recent book. She seeks out to examine the achievements and life stories of nearly the universe of the worldand#39;s female political leaders from the 1960s up to the current era. Organized both chronologically and geographically, Skard includes over 70 leaders in 50 countries, and uncovers a variety of paths to power, regional patterns and variation, and fascinating individual stories.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;An excellent academic source for both students of gender studies and international relations. It is also an interesting read for those either considering or analyzing careers of female politicians.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Women in Power profiles 22 world leaders who have held the top positions of political power since 1960. Each chapter is devoted to a region of the world. In addition to providing an overview of the political careers of the women who emerged as leaders in these regions, the authors examine the political systems of each region in terms of the involvement of women in politics.
Synopsis
Profiles 22 women who have held the top positions of political leadership around the world.
Synopsis
Women in Power profiles 22 world leaders who have held the top positions of political power since 1960. Each chapter is devoted to a region of the world. In addition to providing an overview of the political careers of the women who emerged as leaders in these regions, the authors examine the political systems of each region in terms of the involvement of women in politics.
Biographies of these political leaders are embedded within regional analyses that reveal not only the personal circumstances that each woman faced in her quest for power but also the political milieu from which she emerged. We learn about the obstacles as well as the advantages these women faced, and we derive insights into the structures that exist in our own societies regarding the power relations between men and women. Women in Power also devotes a chapter to differing theories of women's leadership and various theories of feminism around the world. Finally, in an effort to understand how the United States can appear to be the bastion of women's liberation around the world and yet have only 15 percent representation of women in power and no female president to date, the authors explore prospects for the upcoming 2008 U.S. presidential election and discuss potential candidates.
About the Author
Torild Skard is a senior researcher in womenandrsquo;s studies at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo and is a former member of parliament and the first woman president of the Norwegian Upper House, among many other appointments.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Breakthrough on several continents
Women in politics
Western industrial countries I
and#8216;Roaring she-tigersand#8217;in South Asia
Equilibrists in East Asia
Machism, marianism, modernism in Latin America
Lopsided democracies in the Caribbean
and#8216;Big Chiefsand#8217; in sub-Saharan Africa
Eastern Bloc from communism to capitalism
Western industrial countries II
Where women rose to the top
When women made it