Women presidents and prime ministers in post-transition democracies

Abstract

A large number of women have served as prime ministers and presidents such as President Rousseff in Brazil and Prime Minister Diogo in Mozambique in post-transition democracies since the 1990s, increasing women’s hopes for the adoption of more prowoman policies by the government. However, women leaders in post-transition democracies have been constrained by patriarchal traditions, economic problems, and weak political institutions. This book aims to reveal the cultural and institutional dynamics that influence women’s access to executive office and the challenges that women experience while governing in general, and while developing pro-woman policies in particular, in post-transition countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe.