Women’s Pathways to Power (Routledge Studies in Gender and Global Politics)

Women’s Pathways to Power: Cracking the Glass Ceiling provides an interdisciplinary study of the lingering impediments obstructing women’s access to power to attain democratic equality, comprising the work of eminent women scholars from diverse fields and regions.

This book addresses women's inequality within a world shaped by men, while outlining the significant strides in gender equity and presents clear pathways toward achieving equality―highlighting the progress women have made across diverse settings from the Asia Pacific to the Global South―offering bold solutions to shatter the glass ceiling. In documenting both the challenges and achievements in the journey toward women's empowerment, the book makes a significant contribution to the story of women and power in the 21st century. In an era where women have made remarkable strides in education, employment, and politics in democracies, the pervasive gender gaps in key power spheres persist―in politics and leadership, the workplace, and within the home.

This book will appeal not only to scholars and students in disciplines such as politics, sociology, and gender studies, but also to legislators, political leaders, and policymakers looking to understand what is possible and how. It speaks to women, especially women who dare to challenge accepted democratic and societal norms.

Andrea Carson is Professor of Political Communication at University of Melbourne, Australia. She is on the board of the Australian Political Studies Association and a Women’s Leadership Institute Australia Fellow. Her work focuses on women’s representation and participation in politics, the role of online speech on women’s political participation, and mis- and disinformation and electoral integrity.