Women in Politics

Women's approaches to problem-solving, leading, public policy positions, and relationships with people are different from men's. They have much to offer and present challenging opportunities to the political community of governance. This is a practical how-to book written for women who are involved in the process, either elected or appointed to office, who wish to stay in office, be re-elected or move onto higher office. A first in a new and important genre of literature.

Climbing the Hill explores the history and current status of women members and staff on Capitol Hill. It traces the difficult history of women in Congress, their slow and painful path to political power, and their hopes and fears of today. It presents a comprehensive analysis of women's success at the polls and within the congressional hierarchy - legislatively, politically, and socially. Through in-depth research and extensive personal interviews, the authors reveal the deep-rooted sexual divisions within the U.S. Congress and the continuing struggle of women to break into the "old boy" network. The book's comprehensive coverage is unique and up-to-date and will be of interest to scholars, students, and interested layreaders.

Dispelling the myth that women became involved in partisan politics only after they obtained the vote, this study uses contemporary newspaper sources to show that women were active in the party struggle long before 1920. Although their role was initially limited to attending rallies and hosting picnics, they gradually began to use their pens and voices to support party tickets. By the late 19th century, women spoke at party functions and organized all-female groups to canvass neighborhoods and get out the vote. In the early suffrage states of the West, they voted in increasing numbers and even held a few offices. By the time the suffrage amendment was ratified, women were deeply involved in the political process.

Picking up where other works on women candidates or officeholders leave off, this study explores the history of these women in the USA. The study concludes with an analysis of the current situation of women in the political elite.

Examines the political status of women in the world's governments and challenges the view that women in the United States and other countries are breaking through traditional barriers to achieve unprecedented political power.

How have women used global institutions and the networking possible through them to assure women's emergence on the world stage? How successful have women been at the United Nations and at international conferences over the years in their pressures for equality and for a full partnership with men? To what extent have women gained a foothold in the political arena internationally, and have they been able to exert their influence and to improve their situation? Expert participants and scholars give varying perspectives and insights about the history of women's worldwide efforts through governmental and nongovernmental organizations. They trace the role of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. They analyze the politics of the three world women's conferences in the 1970s and the 1980s, the evolution of institutions set up as catalysts to resolve key issues in developing countries, and the changing conditions for women in the UN Secretariat and specialized agencies. These unusual appraisals and a lengthy bibliography are for interdisciplinary audiences of women and men around the world--essential background to understanding the 1995 UN conference in Beijing.

How have women, at different times and in different places, been perceived when they cross the gender-coded boundaries between the public and private realms? This broad-ranging study of the continuing ambivalence toward women in positions of power and authority describes "domineering dowagers," witches, and "scheming concubines" in ancient, medieval, and modern days in ancient Egypt, Rome, Byzantium, China, medieval Europe, the Victorian era, and today. This sourcebook also offers coverage of the political representation of women in various cultures and historical periods.

An examination of the political and social characteristics particular to Scandinavia which have made women's rise to power more rapid than in other regions of the world, this study also explores how the resulting election of women has provided valuable evidence of the impact of women leaders and their leadership style. Solheim begins with a critical survey of feminist scholarship regarding the equality-difference debate and the application of such research on the position of women in international politics. He concludes, in this respect, that leadership style may have less to do with gender than one might initially suspect. Archival research and interviews with women in leadership roles provide the reader with a closer look at the Scandinavian system, a view that will challenge gender stereotypes around the world.