Are female heads of state in Asia really a sign of progress? - Building Gender Balanced Business

• In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the first female head of state to be elected.
• Since then, women have filled a similar position in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, South Korea and, once again, in Sri Lanka.
• Nowhere else in the world have women risen to power in such numbers, which comes as quite a surprise considering that most of these countries are Muslim, disproving certain stereotypes about Islam.

The reasons behind their rise

• Unfortunately, it seems that their ascensions are largely due to family connections rather than merit.
• Certain leaders went so far as to openly admit that they owed their position to their husbands or fathers.

Not so different after all

• Indira Gandhi stated that she was not a “woman prime minister” but a “prime minister.”
• She thought the distinction was useless.
• Women leaders are described as equally egomaniacal and attached to power as men.
• They have not governed differently nor paved a road to the top for other women.
• Hard to blame them. Exceptions within a predominately male environment, they are forced to readjust to, rather than reshape, their surroundings.

The New York Times article