Women, Power and Politics

Aung San Suu Kyi and Sonia Gandhi are two of the most powerful women in the world. Yet their power is a paradox in Asia, where women compose half of the population but are so poorly represented in policy-making bodies.

The authors of new biographies of these powerful political women discuss their political development and records, the sacrifices they've made, what the future holds for them, and look at other female politicians throughout Asia, both dynastic and non-dynastic. They are in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee, of LSE, whose in-depth study of democracy in India was outlined in the BBC documentary 'Sacred Elections: Lessons From the World's Biggest Democracy' and with Jane Macartney of The Times.