Campaigns

For a while there in 2011, or at least for a few minutes that August, Michele Bachmann was a real contender for the Republican presidential nomination. The race she ran offers several lessons for women who may be thinking of making a White House bid.

"How would you in your current position help foster more female participation and occupation in public service?"

Senator Gillibrand:

Wafa Bani Mustafa had already won a seat in Jordan’s parliament. But as she prepared to run for reelection, she wanted to learn more about fundraising techniques, which are not widely used in the region. So last December, ahead of her campaign, she participated in an NDI training program on advanced campaign skills for experienced politicians from 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

When Italian president Giorgio Napolitano appointed 10 expert consultants to lead Italy out of its political gridlock late last month, it would appear he could not find one qualified woman to

Marginalized by both a patriarchal society and the narrow confines of Western feminist discourse, Muslim women around the world are developing their own form of activism.

 As they vie for the highest jobs, it's the uncomfortable question that can't be ignored. For about as long as women have been running for office, people who care about women’s lot have wondered whether one at the top would improve life for the rest of us. And last week’s skirmish in the New York City mayoral race was an object lesson.