Western Europe

In a 2009 photograph of political leaders in Europe the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, stands out. ¹ She is wearing a colorful pink jacket that contrasts strongly with the dark suits worn by the other leaders of European states. And she is the only woman sitting on the platform. The image is striking in a region of the world where women's representation in politics has been an issue for three decades. So, how is it then that Angela Merkel is a rare ² instance of a woman as executive leader in Europe? This chapter discusses women's political leadership in Germany, the United Kingdom (UK) and Spain since World War II in an effort to identify the conditions under which women achieve high office in these countries. It analyzes women's participation in the political executive as senior ministers and as heads of government. The chapter begins with an overview of women's recruitment to cabinet office in Western Europe and introduces a gendered categorization of executive portfolios. This is followed by country case studies beginning with an overview of the political systems in the UK, Germany and Spain and an examination of the formal and informal rules of access to executive office in these countries. The next section analyzes the evolution of women in UK, Germany and Spain executive positions since World War II. A discussion of the socio-cultural, economic and political variables influencing women's access to executive positions then follows. The chapter concludes by estimating the impact of executive women in these countries on women's legislative representation and on women's interests.