#GAReads | 4 countries where women have gained political power—and the obstacles they still face

photo credit: David Stanley [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

“4 countries where women have gained political power—and the obstacles they still face”:

Throughout history and around the world, women who sought political power often faced resistance, ranging from slurs to assassination. Women have made significant gains but continue to face familiar barriers, including in countries that have given women a greater voice in governing. In more than half the world’s countries, including Bolivia and conflict-riddled states such as Afghanistan and Iraq, legislative gender quotas now guarantee the formal political participation of women. Such quotas have their limitations, however. They’ve been criticized as undemocratic and discriminatory by some in liberal democracies who argue that they undermine the principle of merit by favoring women over men solely based on gender. And, as in Bolivia, they don’t prevent criticism of women officials from occasionally taking on a nasty, sexist tone.

There also are historical structural inequalities embedded in gender-neutral, merit-based political systems. These nonquota systems, such as in the United States, can favor the dominant groups in society, including men, white people, and those with significant financial resources. Overcoming barriers to political entry is one challenge. What women can—and can’t—do once in power is another.

Read Rania Abouzeid’s full article at National Geographic here…