Introduction

Abstract

AbstractChapter 1 introduces readers to this comparative study of women’s leadership and the law. The chapter begins by offering the national and global contexts in which women rise to executive office, which is often hindered and slow. With few female presidents and prime ministers around the world, the chapter demonstrates a notable gap in comparative studies that link women’s leadership, legislation and the legacies of those leaders on the lives of fellow women. The chapter then presents the four women presidents—Presidents Aquino and Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines, President Megawati of Indonesia and President Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka. Common themes are offered, including existing assumptions about the gendered footprint of women presidents and prime ministers, challenges with quantifying executive power, how domestic and international law are brought into this study and what new knowledge on women presidents can be placed on the theory-building table through experiences from Asia.