The first book-length treatment of the political representation of women in countries with parliamentary systems based on the Westminster model.

Written by a major international team of authors, this new study features twelve chapters on both new and established parliaments, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It tests the latest theories about women's political representation within Westminster style assemblies and is organized into three key sections that:

• examine the extent to which the descriptive representation of women in the 'old' Westminster parliaments has progressed in recent years, and the factors which have enhanced or impeded development.
• explore the relationship between the numbers of women elected and the substantive representation of women - or the extent that women 'act for' women.
• review the recent experiences of four 'new' Westminster parliaments (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Nunavut) and evaluate the political opportunities for women provided by the creation of new institutions.

This new comparative study will be of great interest to students and researchers of legislative studies and of gender politics and gender studies.

Written by a major international team of authors, this is the first book-length treatment of the political representation of women in countries sharing a Westminster-based political regime. Featuring twelve chapters on new and established parliaments in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, this new book tests the latest and most broad-based theories about women's numerical and substantive political representation within the context of the commonalities and variations that have evolved from the Westminster legacy. The book is organized into three sections: Firstly, the book examines the extent to which the descriptive representation of women in the "old" Westminster parliaments has progressed in recent years, and the factors which have enhanced or impeded this progress. Secondly, the book explores the relationship between the numbers of women elected and the substantive representation of women - that is, the extent that women "act for" women. Lastly, the volume reviews the recent experiences of four "new" Westminster parliaments (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Nunavut) and evaluates the political opportunities for women provided by the creation of new institutions. This comparative study will be of interest to students and researchers of legislative studies and gender politics / studies.

Ms. Prime Minister offers both solace and words of caution for women politicians. After closely analyzing the media coverage of former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell; two former Prime Ministers of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark; and Australia's 27th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, Linda Trimble concludes that reporting both reinforces and contests unfair gender norms. News about female leaders gives undue attention to their gender identities, bodies and family lives. Yet equivalent men are also treated to evaluations of their gendered personas. And, as Trimble finds, some media accounts expose sexism and authenticate women's performances of leadership. Ms. Prime Minister provides important insight into the news frameworks that work to deny or confer political legitimacy. It concludes with advice designed to inform the gender strategies of women who aspire to political leadership roles and the reporting techniques of the journalists who cover them.