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Chapter 2. Breaking the glass & keeping the ceiling

Women presidents’ discursive practices in Latin America
  • Florencia Cortès-Conde and Diana Boxer
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Discourse, Politics and Women as Global Leaders
This chapter is in the book Discourse, Politics and Women as Global Leaders

Abstract

During the last half of the 20th century grass root women’s movements have been instrumental in the transition to democracy in Latin America. These social movements were followed by an increased political representation of women at the congressional level, and within the last few decades, six women have been chosen to the highest office: Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990–97), Nicaragua; Mireya Moscoso de Arias (1999–2004), Panamá; Laura Chinchilla (2010–2014), in Costa Rica; Michelle Bachelet (2006–2010 & 2014 to present), Chile; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007–to present), Argentina; Dilma Rousseff (2011 to present), Brazil. In our paper, we examine the discursive practices that allowed Kirchner and Bachelet to win their presidencies, and their position on gender, human rights, and economic issues.

Abstract

During the last half of the 20th century grass root women’s movements have been instrumental in the transition to democracy in Latin America. These social movements were followed by an increased political representation of women at the congressional level, and within the last few decades, six women have been chosen to the highest office: Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990–97), Nicaragua; Mireya Moscoso de Arias (1999–2004), Panamá; Laura Chinchilla (2010–2014), in Costa Rica; Michelle Bachelet (2006–2010 & 2014 to present), Chile; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007–to present), Argentina; Dilma Rousseff (2011 to present), Brazil. In our paper, we examine the discursive practices that allowed Kirchner and Bachelet to win their presidencies, and their position on gender, human rights, and economic issues.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Discourse, politics and women 1
  4. Part I. Discursive features of leadership
  5. Chapter 1. “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” 21
  6. Chapter 2. Breaking the glass & keeping the ceiling 43
  7. Chapter 3. Under fire 67
  8. Part II. Discourse, media and power
  9. Chapter 4. Twitter as political discourse 93
  10. Chapter 5. Gender and political discourse in Tunisia 121
  11. Chapter 6. Julia Gillard 149
  12. Chapter 7. Women in politics and the media 169
  13. Part III. Leadership, identity and the public
  14. Chapter 8. “Thank you for heckling me” 195
  15. Chapter 9. Governors debating 217
  16. Chapter 10. Discourses of female leaders in postcolonial Hong Kong 251
  17. Part IV. Styling the leader
  18. Chapter 11. Governing in the gendered structure of power 275
  19. Chapter 12. The ball is in the women’s court 293
  20. Chapter 13. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 315
  21. Conclusion 345
  22. About the authors 353
  23. Index 359
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.63.03cor

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Discourse, politics and women 1
  4. Part I. Discursive features of leadership
  5. Chapter 1. “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” 21
  6. Chapter 2. Breaking the glass & keeping the ceiling 43
  7. Chapter 3. Under fire 67
  8. Part II. Discourse, media and power
  9. Chapter 4. Twitter as political discourse 93
  10. Chapter 5. Gender and political discourse in Tunisia 121
  11. Chapter 6. Julia Gillard 149
  12. Chapter 7. Women in politics and the media 169
  13. Part III. Leadership, identity and the public
  14. Chapter 8. “Thank you for heckling me” 195
  15. Chapter 9. Governors debating 217
  16. Chapter 10. Discourses of female leaders in postcolonial Hong Kong 251
  17. Part IV. Styling the leader
  18. Chapter 11. Governing in the gendered structure of power 275
  19. Chapter 12. The ball is in the women’s court 293
  20. Chapter 13. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 315
  21. Conclusion 345
  22. About the authors 353
  23. Index 359
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