Female Supremacy Articles - Page 20

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While legacy leaders often promote gender equality and women's issues in their societies, it is the women who rise to the top on their own -- from Britain's Margaret Thatcher to Mrs. Merkel and Mrs. Bachelet -- who "really tend to bring with them a sea of change in values and attitudes," Miss Liswood said.

Mrs. Bachelet, who took office in March, kept a campaign pledge to balance her Cabinet. Women hold half of the ministerial posts in her government and 15 of the 31 subsecretary jobs.

Martin K.I. Christensen, a Danish journalist, has privately compiled what might be the world's most extensive compendium of women in power. His "Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership" -- found at www.guide2womenleaders.com -- is a box score of almost staggering comprehensiveness to the state of female political power.

Mr. Christensen attributes his interest to reading a world history book as a boy about such historical figures as Queen Elizabeth and Catherine the Great.

According to Mr. Christensen's research, Miss Rice and Britain's Mrs. Beckett are two of 17 female foreign ministers around the world, while France's Mrs. Alliot-Marie is part of a more exclusive club of eight female defense and security ministers.

Four countries -- Brunei, Russia, the Vatican and North Korea -- have no women above the vice ministerial level in government, while two countries -- Monaco and Saudi Arabia -- have never had a female minister at any level in their history.