Latin America’s presidentas: Overcoming challenges, forging new pathways

Catherine Reyes-Housholder and Gwynn Thomas highlight the unexpected emergence of female presidents and presidential candidates in Latin American politics. They point out that theories explaining the election of female executives globally fail to account for the rise of female presidents in Latin America and argue that the transition to democracy, women’s increasing political experience, the rise of the left, and recent political party crises have provided new opportunities for women in the presidency. However, female presidents must continually manage gendered expectations created from men’s past dominance of presidential power. While they appear similarly as successful governing as male presidents, only Michelle Bachelet has made gender equality a central component of her agenda. Female presidents have not used their constitutional powers to enact many gender equality policies, but in certain circumstances, they have been more likely than men to appoint women to their cabinets. Female presidents also have had some positive consequences for women’s participation in politics.