Numerical and policy representation on the international stage: Women foreign policy leaders in Western industrialised systems

Abstract

This article presents initial findings from one of the first comparative studies of women as foreign policy decision-makers in Western industrial systems. It begins with an overview of why political leaders matter to the conduct of contemporary international relations and what the existing literature tells us about women’s engagement in that domain. Next, we develop five propositions based on previous research, and evaluate them using longitudinal data from 10 established democratic systems. Analysing the public statements of appointees in the three countries with the most female elites, we report that women decision-makers were more likely to express pro-feminist rhetoric than the men who preceded or succeeded them; moreover, the most vocal pro-equality elites came from left-of-centre political backgrounds, and often had pre-recruitment experience in progressive parties or social movements. The discussion concludes with a brief look at promising directions for future research.