Dancing Backwards in High Heels. Women, Leadership and Power

GARCÍA BEAUDOUX, VIRGINIA

NIMD

Lugar: La Haya; Año: 2017 p. 300

978-950-23-2317-6

Women play in the same soccer field and share the same spaces as men but with other rules, more unfavourable conditions and all the odds against them. Using her wealth of knowledge and extensive experience working with male and female politicians, Virginia García Beaudoux takes us on a deeply personal journeyto set out the work that still needs to be done to ensure gender parity. García Beaudoux assessesthe topic of female political participation not only rigorously, but also with humour and, above all, with human understanding. She takes us through the existing psychosocial and socio-cultural obstacles barriers that hamper gender equality and analyses how the way women and men are portrayed in the media can affect the way we perceive gender roles. The notions of glass walls, cement ceilings, sticky floors and nirvana ceilingshelp us to understand why women enjoy fewer opportunities than men even if they come fromsimilar academic backgrounds and work experience.Through a series of interview with Swedish and Dutch political figures, Dancing Backwards in High Heels offers a unique glimpse into what it can mean to be an ambitious woman in an environment still dominated by males and shows that, even in countries that have made great progress towards gender equality, there is still a long way to go. With specific and well-considered recommendations, García Beaudoux stresses, however, that there is hope for the future, and sets out the pathway towards greater equality.A must read for anyone who thinks that gender equality has already been achieved, andhelpful support for those men and women who continue to put equal rights on the political agenda.