Women in Power in Post-Communist Parliaments

Women in Power in Post-Communist Parliaments examines the life and work of women who have reached positions of political power after the end of communism in Europe. It explores the roles they have adopted, the relationships they have cultivated, and the agendas they have pursued. Much of the literature on women in post-Communist states has focused on one or two countries. This volume treats the issues comparatively, in six countries―the Czech Republic, Germany (with a focus on the former GDR), Slovenia, Bulgaria, Poland, and Russia. It also includes interviews with and written statements by the very "women in power" discussed in the first half of the book, giving voice to their common and divergent experiences as political actors within an environment of stormy economies and new foreign engagements, particularly with the European Union.

Marilyn Rueschemeyer is Professor Emerita of Sociology at the Rhode Island School of Design and currently chairs the European Politics Series at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. Her books include Professional Work and Marriage: An East-West Comparison and Women in the Politics of Postcommunist Eastern Europe.

Sharon L. Wolchik is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. She is author of Czechoslovakia in Transition: Politics, Economics, and Society and editor (with James R. Millar) of The Social Legacy of Communism.