Women of Power

Torild Skard is a senior researcher in women’s studies at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo, specialising in women in politics. A pioneer in the women’s movement nationally and internationally, she was formerly an MP and the first woman president of the Norwegian Upper House. She has also been director for the Status of Women in UNESCO Paris, regional director in UNICEF West and Central Africa and director general in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has written numerous books and articles on women’s issues, particularly women in politics, and travels widely, studying and promoting the status of women.

• Preface;Introduction;Breakthrough on several continents;Women in politics;Western industrial countries I;‘Roaring she-tigers’ in South Asia;Equilibrists in East Asia;Machism, marianism, modernism in Latin America;Lopsided democracies in the Caribbean;‘Big Chiefs’ in sub-Saharan Africa;Eastern Bloc from communism to capitalism;Western industrial countries II;Where women rose to the top;When women made it.

"From the outset, it is clear that this book, in its study of the transformative potential of women leaders, has an intrinsic power to transform." The Tribune "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." LSE Review of Books "The empirical data in Power of Women inspire further research on women, politics and power: To what extent do women top leaders represent a new type of politician, new policies and new methods of exerting political power? With the slow increase in the number of female prime ministers and presidents (50/50 in 200 years) it will continue to be of interest to study how women rise to the top and which factors play a role, for a long time to come ... 'Power of Women' will remain a great work within the study of female political leadership and politics." translation from review in Internasjonal Politikk "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 till 2010." Norwegian Association for Women's Rights "Skard describes the development of feminist breakthroughs in top leadership roles...she argues female subordination is a cultural product that can be subject to change with a certain amount of political will. The book represents an excellent academic source for both students of gender studies and international relations." Croation International Relations Review. "This is 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." Choice "Skard takes on an enormously ambitious project in her recent book. 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." New Books in Political Science "It is important that we learn lessons from those who went before" Mary Robinson, President of Ireland 1990 - 1997 "A compelling major work on powerful women in international politics in our time... recommended as a comprehensive and exciting work in global woman's studies during the last 50 years." Professor Dr Oyvind Foss, Academy of Sciences/University of Stavanger, Norway