Women and Government: New Ways to Political Power

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This comprehensive, up-to-date work 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. It is based upon a study funded by the Ford Foundation and directed by Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber. Using interviews with female political leaders and data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations, and other sources, the study notes that although women have made great progress in some areas, in the majority of male-led governments the environment remains either indifferent or hostile to sharing power with women. The book describes the historical and ideological basis for women's exclusion from leadership, the official and unofficial efforts being made to overcome this disparity, the diverse experiences of women in developing and industrialized nations seeking entry to male political strongholds, and the particular problems they face in electoral or appointive office.

Reviews

"For decades Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber have tirelessly sought and found compelling ways to share their passion for change with wide audiences. Women and Government: New Ways to Political Power results from the longstanding, dynamic partnership of these two activists deeply commited to increasing women's political clout. In this highly informative new book packed with useful data, their call for action emerges from a multi-national analysis of political women's history and current status. It belongs on every women and politics bookshelf."-Ruth B. Mandel, Director of the Center for the American Woman and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University
"In a male-led world reeling from one disaster to another, women in rich and poor countries alike are organizing to transform 'old-boy' politics and win an equal role in Fate-of-the-Earth decisions. This must-read book is a treasure of surprising facts, figures, and creative ideas about how women can win greater political power. It offers a global vision in which women presidents, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and mayors are no longer oddities, but indispensable to the practice of democracy."-Gloria Steinem
"Women may hold up half the sky, but we hold far less political power in the United States than our numbers, genius, and energy deserve. This book tells how women the world round won the vote and are winning public office in increasing numbers. We can learn from them and, in some ways, they from us. I highly recommend this invaluable resource."-Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Author Bio

MIM KELBER, writer, editor, and feminist, has been a lifelong activist on behalf of women's rights. She served as policy adviser and speechwriter for Congresswoman Bella Abzug and as policy director for President Carter's National Advisory Committee for Women. She is a co-founder with Bella Abzug of Women USA Fund, Inc. and currently serves as editorial director of the Fund's Women's Environment and Development Organization in New York City. She coauthored Gender Gap: Bella Abzug's Guide to Political Power for Women (1984).