Gender and Institutions in Post-Transition Executives

Significant research has examined the rise of women to positions of parliamentary and legislative power throughout the world. Much less research has considered women as executives, although this is rapidly changing. Yet, even with this new research on executives, very little of it has focused on what women do once elected to executive office, and it has often overlooked post-transition democracies. Post-transition democracies are unique because they have recently undergone regime change, they face institutional fluidity in their new democratic institutions, and they often struggle with democratic governance. This chapter offers some theoretical insights into how political institutions affect the election of women and women’s governing in executive office, emphasizing the specific nuances of gender and executives in post-transition democracies.