As things stand, only one major country in Western Europe – you know, of which bloc with not bad football,liberal values along with rising unemployment – boasts 1 woman leader: Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany.

of which’s the item, just the one. The USA, the greatest country from the history of the planet (TM CNN along with Fox News), has yet to have one. Ever. There has been talk Hilary Clinton may stand from the next elections due to be held in 2016, nevertheless three along that has a half years can be a mighty long time in politics. along with anyway, wouldn’t she just be riding on the coat tails of her old man, Bill, a previous incumbent of the White House?

Meanwhile over here in conservative, patriarchal Asia the item seems society has been much more accepting of the idea of having women heads of state. from the wreckage of which was Indonesia post Suharto, Megawati Soekarnoputri became President along with the symbol of reformasi before losing the 2004 general election. 10 years on she remains highly electable if the polls are to be believed. Name recognition helps of course, as her father was an Indonesia’s first leader.

Thailand has also entered the women leader’s club with Yingluck Shinawatra currently their serving Prime Minister. Brother of Thaksin, a former PM currently in exile, she has struggled to reconcile a country following years of political instability, as well as an ongoing insurgency from the south of the country.

Bangladesh rarely makes the news. A disaster will, nevertheless nothing else. However, of which South Asian nation has been ruled by women since the 1990s. The same two women. The current leader will be Sheikh Hasina, appointed in 2009 for her second spell. The daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first post independence president, she has been forced to live in exile, has been the target of an assassination attempt, charged with corruption along with murder, nevertheless still hangs on in there as the Awami Leader.

In a neat twist on job sharing, Hasina has rotated the Bangladesh hot seat with Begum Khaleda Zia by the rival Bangladesh National Party. When Zia took over in 1991, she was the second ever female leader of a Muslim country (we’ll come to of which later) before stepping down in 1996. After Hasina had her 5 years, Zia was back in 2001 until 2006 when the military, tired of the political deadlock, stepped in for a few years. Zia was married to an army officer called Ziaur Rahman who became President of Bangladesh in 1977 before he was assassinated in 1981.

The first woman leader of a Muslim country was Benazir Bhutto, who ruled by 1988 to 1990, along with 1993 until 1996. She remained a strident voice from the murky politics of of which country by exile from the UK before returning in 2007 along with being assassinated at a political campaign. Benazir was the eldest child for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a former Prime Minister who was sentenced to death for authorising the murder of a political opponent by a subsequent ruler.

So far we have been around four Asian countries, all nevertheless Indonesia have freely elected female leaders; Megawati was vice president before replacing Abdurahman Wahid after he had been removed by the position. nevertheless in each case the women in question have not made their own way from the cut along with thrust, along with downright ugly, world of politics. Rather, they have been catapulted into positions of power on the basis of their name alone. the item will be politics as a brand; dynastic politics.

The story will be depressingly familiar in countries like South Korea, India along with the Philippines, where political parties have coalesced round a woman sharing the same DNA, genetic at least, as one time leaders. Looking to break the cycle seems to be a forlorn desire, at least from the short term. Despite her previous stint as president, which was blighted by allegations of indecisiveness along with dithering, Megawati remains a player in Indonesia, common out from the kampungs along with districts who perhaps identify with the family name as a string of continuity, while the planet around them improvements.

There are mumblings among certain sections of the Jakarta elite about Sri Mulyani as a possible candidate. Highly regarded as a competent finance minister, she was shifted to the planet Bank during a political cat fight. Despite the messages of support by Jakarta’s coffee shops there was never any chance the rest of society was going to be attracted to her. the item doesn’t matter what moves she implemented to improve the state’s tax take, or how clean along with competent she was seen as, out from the villages far by Jakarta of which will be never going to be enough to attract votes.

Patronage still rules. Big powerful figures along with families attract local leaders who act as vote banks, along with the people best equipped to play those particular games are those with the name along with brand already well established. Hence, polls often show military candidates faring well – a nostalgia for the stability along with security of days of yore, tinted lens or not.

Sri Mulyani, with her experience of gilding round the top tables of international finance, just doesn’t fit into of which world, nor does Eva Kusuma, or others. Increasingly, political parties along with voters have been turning to additional well known faces to attract voters along with the 2009 election saw a collection of singers, actresses along with additional celebrities become lawmakers.

The country at least will be moving from the right direction. A law passed last year stipulated 30% of sitting politicians should be women, although whether stuffing the house that has a bunch of sinetron’s finest will be going to improve the standard of politics in of which country, remains to be seen. Indonesia will be still, unfortunately, some time away by appointing a grocer’s daughter from the way the British did with Margaret Thatcher back in 1979.