Women, power and politics / Anne Stevens.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stevens, Anne, 1942-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women--Political activity--OECD countries.

Women.

Women and democracy.

Women--Political activity.

OECD countries.

Physical Description:

xiv, 266 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [Endland] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

Women are increasingly present and active in public policy-making, with female leaders no longer a rarity in major Western countries. However, the achievements of a few outstanding individuals can obscure the continuing limits to the role that women in general play in political life. Focussing primarily on a range of economically advanced liberal democracies, Anne Stevens looks at women's political behaviour as citizens, voters, representatives, activists and leaders, and asks what impact they have on political outcomes. Supporting her argument with substantial evidence from a range of countries, she concludes that the changes that have enhanced women's political status have never been easy. Women do not necessarily agree about the outcomes to be achieved, and what they can do is profoundly affected by the context within which they act. This comprehensive, accessible and clearly written study will be essential reading for students of politics - male and female - and gender studies, and for general readers wishing to understand the shape of politics in liberal democracies today.

Contents:

The social and economic status of women

Women as citizens

Women as voters

The representation of women

Strategies for increasing representation by women

Women and positions of power

Feminism, participation, and activism

Do women make a difference? : political theory and political practice

Women's policy : the case of equal employment policy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 229-255) and index.

ISBN:

0230507808

9780230507807

0230507816

9780230507814

OCLC:

138340684

Online:

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