Gender and Power (PDF)

Mino Vianello (University of Rome, 'La Sapienza') has concentrated his research over the last forty years on the issue of gender and power. His pathbreaking work, Gendering Elites: Economic and Political Leadership in 27 Industrialised Societies (2000) received the Descartes Prize for the Social Sciences from the European Commission.

Mary Hawkesworth is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, USA. Her recent works include Political Worlds of Women: Activism, Advocacy, and Governance in the 21st Century (2012); War and Terror: Feminist Perspectives (2008); Globalization and Feminist Activism (2006); and Feminist Inquiry: From Political Conviction to Methodological Innovation (2006).

'This unique collection couples interdisciplinary breadth with a rare depth of inclusivity. We read chapters from political studies, sociology, gender studies and psychoanalysis and from North, South, East and West. Yet all bring an acute spotlight to bear on what is surely still a key global crisis the strange and familiar fusion of gender dynamics and inequalities of power. The book wears its immense learning lightly and displays a heart-warming compassion and commitment to justice and equality.' Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex, UK, and author of A New Therapy for Politics?

'In the 1990s a tectonic shift took place as gender indicators became for the first time an internationally accepted measure of the quality of democracy. These new democratic norms meant the absence of women from public decision-making was construed as a democratic deficit. This collection draws on evidence from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe to explore the strategies adopted to increase women's political participation as well as the kinds of conceptual, institutional and cultural barriers to transformation and change. This is a bold project bringing together researchers with a range of views on how to reduce violence and achieve a more inclusive and participatory form of democracy, in the context of global markets and deepening global inequalities.' Marian Sawer, Emeritus Professor and Public Policy Fellow, Australian National University

'This international, interdisciplinary volume explores the causes of and responses to persisting gender inequalities. It brings together psychological including psychoanalytic perspectives, empirical findings from different regions including the Global South, and political theories. In doing so, it opens a new conversation about one of the central injustices of our time and will be a valuable resource for social scientists and everyone puzzled by this disturbing intersection of